Heart's Courage
by quiet-heart
Summary: These are two central characters I came up with one night, with one of them caught in a dangerous mess not of her making or intent. Set in the Next Generation universe and time frame. Please note, I'm copying and transferring this from my iPhone.
1. Chapter 1

Starfleet Academy, Earth, 2367

THUD!

Second-year Academy student Third Class Cadet Sharee Marsin landed on her back, having had her feet swept out from under her again, by her tutor, Commander Jon Dilsen. Her staff went skittering across the mat and she only just managed to roll out of the way of his staff where it was coming to meet her head. Frantically grabbing for her staff, she swung at Dilsen's feet, but he must have seen that coming because he jumped out of the way and blocked her backswing with his.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Cadet," Dilsen said, watching as she scrambled to her feet, breathing hard.

She attacked again and Dilsen used her staff against her to put her face-down on the mat. Before she could move, she felt his staff tap the back of her head. She was dead.

Groaning, she lay on the mat, trying to catch her breath. Both she and Dilsen had been going at it for about the last hour and aside from a few lucky shots, he had dominated the session.

She was in her second year at Starfleet Academy and was taking Advanced Close-Quarters Combat. Unfortunately, she was having a bit of trouble with some of the quarterstaff techniques, so her instructor, Commander Macalister, had asked Commander Dilsen, who taught Beginner's Close-Quarters Combat, to tutor her. He had been her instructor last year and thought she had promise.

'I an going to be so sore in the morning,' she thought tiredly.

"You ready to give up yet, Cadet? You didn't show any signs of being a quitter last year," Dilsen taunted.

He saw the way the half-Betazoid's hands suddenly clenched and a warning buzz went off in his mind. 'Uh-oh,' he thought.

She attacked, twisting sideways and kicking out, catching him in the thigh, followed by a stomach kick he only just managed to turn in to a glancing blow. Then she scrambled for her staff and began to attack aggressively. He was hard-pressed not to lose any ground and he only just managed to hold her off because of his own stronger strength. Finally, he managed to draw a tie.

"Five minute break, then one last round, and we'll call it a day," he said, breathing hard.

"Agreed, sir," Marsin replied. She limped over to the bench and sat down heavily. He sat down next to her and watched as she leaned forward, putting her head on her knees.

Second-year Cadet Sharee Marsin was a half-human, half-Betazoid female with honey-brown eyes and shoulder-length light brown hair, of average height and build. Unlike the majority of the students at the Academy, she was no youngster; her age was listed as being in her early twenties. From what Dilsen had seen and heard, she tended to keep people at a distance, forming casual friendships but no close relationships with anyone.

During her first year at the Academy, he had seen her punch another student when that student had gotten a hand a bit too close to her face during a training session in his class one time. That was when he had learned of her parents. Her father had been physically abusive towards her mother and had begun turning his attentions towards Milsen before she'd left for one of the colleges on Betazed. It was during her second year there that her mother had died in a shuttlecraft accident, an accident Milsen wasn't convinced was an accident.

"Have some water," he coaxed, handing her a drinking canteen.

She sat up and took a swallow. He couldn't help but watch the way her throat moved, or the way her chest moved under her work-out top, or the way her sweat slid down between the cleavage of her breasts.

She handed him back the canteen and wiped the sweat off her face with her towel, sighing tiredly.

"You are getting better at the staff," he said.

"Permission to speak freely?" she asked.

"When it's just the two of us, speak as freely as you like."

"The advantage you have over me is you are physically stronger than I am," she said, eyeing the muscles in his arms, which were exposed by his sleeveless gym shirt. They were nice arms, she thought fleetingly.

"That's true, I am, but you have a natural agility that you're not utilizing enough," he replied. "In a fight, your enemy isn't going to fight fair, so you need to use every cheating trick you can. If you can get a kick in, do so. Use your legs, not just your staff."

"I thought the point of the quarterstaff was to use the staff to win," she replied, confused.

"True, but not just the staff. Use it as an extension of yourself. Has anyone taught you the pole vault kick?" She shook her head. "Okay, well, we'll work on that."

"Okay."

They got back on the floor and, with the use of a large punching bag, Dilsen demonstrated the pole kick. When Marsin attempted to do it, she slipped and wound up on her back. Dilsen helped her back up, but when he did so, he pulled her a little too close to him.

She could smell his musk, see the smooth muscles of his chest, feel the strength in his hand. He was taller than her by about a foot, with dark brown hair, like dark roast coffee, with green eyes and nicely tanned skin. He had a nice mouth, she thought, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be kissed by that mouth. Surely not all relationships were like her parents, like the Academy counselor had assured her?

But he was her tutor, one of the Academy instructors... She shouldn't even be thinking about him like this.

Dilsen could see the struggle going on in Marsin's eyes. She was aware of him but she was hesitant because history had taught her that not all relationships were good.

He was a Betazoid and he was married, but his wife, Adreal, had married him only for his family name and his uniform. At one point he had loved her, but she had turned cold on him when he'd expressed desire for a family. Adreal had told him the truth about their marriage, and that she had no desire to ruin her perfect figure or her fun over a mere child. Her fun included affairs and parties and cavorting with higher ranking people. That was when he'd taken a teaching position at the Academy and, half-way through his first year of teaching, begun one of many affairs with various women. That was almost two years ago and he was tired of the game. He wanted a family of his own but couldn't seem to find anyone worth divorcing Adreal over.

It was because he was a Betazoid that he could hear Marsin's thoughts, despite her efforts to conceal them.

She swallowed and he decided to cut her a break. "How about we call it a day and come back at this tomorrow?" he suggested, releasing her.

"Okay," she said, the relief evident on her eyes. 'I need a shower,' she thought, heading for the bench.

'I'd join you if you'd let me,' he teased. He grinned at her when her head snapped around, eyes wide. 'Don't worry, I won't,' he soothed. 'But if you ever do want me to, all you have to do is ask.' He gave her a wink and watched as her r face turned pink. She grabbed her water bottle and her towel from the bench and practically fled the room.

He headed for his quarters and took his own shower. Out of curiosity, he sent out a mental feather to Milsen.

What he saw had him very, very interested. She was having her shower and had started wondering what it would be like if he was there.

'Why don't I show her?' he thought. He 'stepped in' to her mind and began to lather her down from behind. He heard her gasp but she didn't stop him. She didn't seem to realize it wasn't her own thoughts, but his. She hadn't received formal training in blocking and he used that to his advantage this time.

It took a little bit of encouragement from him but she quickly relaxed and began to enjoy herself as things rapidly heated up. In no time at all, he could hear her strangled gasps as she climaxed. As she sank to the shower floor, he pulled away from her mind, leaning heavily against his shower wall. Unintentionally, she had brought him to his own climax. He just hoped he could look at her tomorrow with a straight face.

In her own quarters, Marsin was shivering in the after effects of a very strong climax. Having never had sexual relations before, for her to feel such sensations was alien to her.

'I think I'd better be a lot more careful about those daydreams,' she thought hazily, picking herself up off the shower floor and shutting the water off. 'I just hope I can look at him in the face tomorrow.'


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Marsin didn't see Dilsen for much of the day and she was able to put her shower daydream out of her head, as well as the dreams that had occurred that night. She had woken up sweating, panting, and feeling sexually frustrated.

Then, later that day, Dilsen had left her a message, saying he wouldn't be able to make their next tutoring session because of a sudden staff meeting, but he encouraged her to keep practicing.

Two days later, Marsin received another message, this one from a contact on Betazed. Her name was Sonja Loi, and she had helped Marsin get in to the Academy after her mother's death. She had also sworn on her life never to tell her father or any associated family members of her whereabouts.

"Your grandmother has been looking for you. She wants you to come home and celebrate your mother's birthday with the rest of the family," Loi said. "I've lied through my teeth to her but I don't think she believes me." She sighed heavily. "Sooner or later, you're going to have to deal with her."

That was the problem; Marsin didn't WANT to deal with her over-bearing maternal grandmother. This was the same woman who would smother Marsin to the point of suffocation. She would never let Marsin out of her sight and even go as far as screening everyone who came in contact with her, even boyfriends. Starfleet would have been out of the question, which is exactly why Marsin had joined.

Marsin knew why her grandmother was trying to find her, especially now; on Betazed, her mother's birthday was rapidly approaching. In fact, in about two hours Earth standard time, it would be.

It was the beginning of a very long, difficult day for Marsin. First, she failed a pop quiz in quantum mechanics that the instructor had sprung on them. Then she'd nearly flattened a First-Year Cadet who had gotten cocky with her during lunch. It was only the intervention of a watchful Fourth-Year Cadet that had stopped her from punching him.

It was during her Advanced Close-Quarters Combat that she lost her temper. One of the other students, a female Andorian by the name of Talla, who, for some reason or another, had taken a real disliking to her.

When they were paired up for quarterstaff practice, Talla had gotten increasingly aggressive, taunting Marsin, even calling her Pinky, in reference to her pink-colored skin. When Talla put her on the floor for about the third time, calling her a wimp, that was when Marsin lost her precious hold on her temper. She attacked Talla without mercy, landing some very painful blows on the Andorian with both her staff and her feet. By the time Commander Macalister was able to intervene, Talla was sporting a bloody nose, her staff had been knocked out of her hands, and she was flat on her back with Marsin's staff at the exposed point of her throat.

"You going to call me a wimp again?" she hissed. Talla shook her head, hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"Cadets! What is the meaning of this?!" Macallister demanded. He had a pretty good idea, having heard Talla taunting Marsin before, but he had never seen Marsin quite so angry as she was now.

Marsin backed off. "Apologies, sir. My temper got the best of me." She looked at Talla, who was being helped up off the floor by her classmates.

"It was my fault, sir," Talla said, looking ashamed of herself. "I provoked her unfairly."

"So you're both admitting to this whole fiasco," Macalister said, eyeing the two students. "All right, Marsin, five laps around the track. Talla, go get your face looked at and then five laps as well. Maybe that will teach the pair of you."

"Aye sir," both of them said.

Marsin turned her staff over to someone and headed for the track, ignoring everyone else. She just wanted to be left alone.

Dilsen was on the track, running his own laps when he saw Marsin start running. From the way she was broadcasting, she'd gotten herself in trouble again and, judging by her clothes, it was in Combat class again. He called Macalister.

"Dilsen to Macalister," he said, tapping his combadge.

"Macalister here," came the reply.

"Just saw Cadet Marsin on the tracks. She in trouble again?"

"Yeah. Seems one of the other cadets, Cadet Talla, provoked her a bit too much and she laid in to Talla with her staff. I had to send Talla to Sickbay for a broken nose. She should be joining Marsin to do her own laps shortly."

"Mind if I had a talk with Marsin? I might be able to figure out what's going on."

"Please do. So far you're the only one who seems to be able to get through to her. From what the other teachers are saying, she has promise as a good officer, but if she doesn't start getting her temper under control, she's at risk of being held back a year or being expelled."

"Understood. I'll see what I can do. Dilsen out." He caught up to Marsin, who seemed to be determined to run until she dropped, with the pace she had set for herself.

"Cadet, halt!" he barked.

Even with her mind as clouded as it was, Marsin stopped instinctively. Hands on his hips, Dilsen came up to her.

"At ease, Marsin," he said, watching as her chest heaved. "The point of the laps was to get you to cool off, not half kill yourself." She swallowed but didn't say anything, didn't even look at him.

The truth was, Marsin hadn't even realized how hard she'd been running. She'd been too busy trying to figure out whether or not she could leave the Academy quietly and head for one of the other Federation colonies before her grandmother showed up. Now her ribs were starting to ache and she could feel a stitch developing. She had really over-done it this time. And now she had to deal with Dilsen. What else could possibly go wrong?

"Walk with me," he said. As they began moving down the track at a comfortable pace, he spoke again. "Commander Macalister says you got in to an incident with Cadet Talla," he said. "Want to tell me what that was all about?"

"I lost my temper, sir," she replied stiffly. "Cadet Talla and I do not get along for reasons beyond my understanding. She called me a wimp and I lost my temper."

Dilsen glanced at her. "There's more to it, isn't there?"

"I don't know what you mean, sir," she replied flatly.

He stopped walking and turned to face her. Because she wasn't paying attention, she nearly collided with him. Startled, she looked up.

"Cut the bull, Sharee. Something's going on and I can't help you if you don't talk to me," he said gently.

Reluctantly she nodded. "Not here, please, not in front of everyone."

He lead the way to a large tree that had been planted years ago on the grassy section of the tracks and now provided shade to the Academy students and teachers. They sat down on the grass on the pretense of stretching.

"I received word from a contact on Betazed that my maternal grandmother is looking for me," she began.

"I'm guessing you don't want your grandmother to find you?"

"No, sir," she said.

"Jon," he corrected gently. "When it's just the two of us, call me Jon."

She nodded. "If Grandmother were to find me, she would haul me back to her house on Betazed faster than Warp 10 and I would never, ever be free again. My every waking moment would be monitored, every person screened, everything I ate and drank tested to be sure I wasn't being poisoned and that it was perfectly healthy. I would be attending function after function that had little to do with what I liked or wanted and more with what was correct society-wise." She gave a bitter laugh. "Forget about Starfleet; my uniform would be burned and anyone remotely associated with Starfleet would be banned from even breathing on me."

"That good, huh?"

She nodded. "I can understand why she wants me to come back, especially now, but I won't let myself become that kind of prisoner."

"Why now?" he asked.

"Because it's my mom's birthday."

That was the crux of it, Dilsen realized. Marsin was still grieving for her mother, and her grandmother was making it that much harder. She needed time and a friend.

"Come on," he said, standing up. "You're on medical leave for the rest of the day."

"I am?" she spluttered, scrambling to follow him.

"Yup. You have ten minutes to get changed," he said. "We're going on a little field trip."

"We are?" she echoed, following him back to the gym.

"Is there an echo here, Cadet?" he teased, causing her to flush.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, she practically flung herself in to the change room shower and back in to her uniform. When she exited the gym, she was still finger-combing her hair in to a braid that she secured with a holder, causing Dilsen to grin.

She was curious, he realized. Good, maybe he'd found one of her quirks.

He didn't say a word as they moved through the Academy, heading for the main entrance. Then they left the grounds.

"Have you ever gone to San Francisco?" he asked, hailing a cab. She shook her head. "Why not?"

She shrugged. "No reason to. I came to Earth to study, not check out the sights."

He grinned. "Then you don't know what you're missing." He identified himself and gave an address to the onboard computer and soon they were zooming through San Francisco. The cab eventually stopped in front of an old building with tall steeples and huge stained glass windows.

"This is the Saint Joseph's Church," Dilsen explained, getting out of the cab. "Built in 1913, it's on the San Francisco Historical Building Registry."

"Okay," she said, following him.

They went inside and Marsin felt her mouth falling open. Sunlight was filtering through the stained glass windows and falling on the worn-but-cared-for wooden pews and floors. There was an altar at the front, and several beautifully carved statues of Jesus Christ and Saint Joseph, though Marsin didn't recognize them. In one corner, flickering flames caught her attention. Row upon row of tea lights in glass holders were on a raised table of sorts.

Dilsen lead the way to the table of tea lights. "What was your mother's name?" he asked, taking a stick and lighting it with a flame from another tea light.

"Mona, Mona Marsin Radcliffe," she replied. "When I entered the Academy, I took her maiden name to lessen the chances of Father finding me."

He nodded as he lit an unlit tea light. "Happy birthday, Mona Marsin," he said. When her head snapped towards him in shock, he smiled at her and lead the way to one of the pews. "This is a sanctuary, where people come to find peace, to pray, and sometimes to remember," he explained as they sat down in the pew. "I found this place just after I started teaching at the Academy. I was having trouble dealing with the fact that my marriage was falling apart and that I was married to a woman who really didn't love me the way I thought she did and the way I loved her. I was looking for answers, maybe some peace."

"Did you find that?" she asked.

"Answers, no. Peace? A little bit, yes, enough for me to pull myself together for a while longer." He pointed to the statues and said, "I don't know who these guys are, but if they've been around for a long time, then I figure they've probably heard a lot of things, and never said one word."

"You think so?"

He smiled at her and took her hand in his. "Talk to me," he coaxed. "Anything you say will stay between me and these guys."

She looked at him and then looked at the way his hand was covering hers. It was such a simple thing, but it meant so much.

"My mother would have been forty-six today," she found herself admitting. "I was twenty-one the day she died, two months shy of my next birthday." Her voice broke. "I can still hear her screams as Father beat her to death."

"You were there when she died?"

"Not in the physical sense, no. I was on my way to class at Renford College when I suddenly heard her screaming," Marsin explained, tears starting to slide down her face. "For a moment it was like I was looking through her eyes. I could see Father hitting her, I could see the broken glass in the house, and I could tell she was dying. Then he finally stopped and he told her that the only way she was leaving him was over his dead body."

"You felt her die?"

She nodded, taking a swipe at her tears. "The last thing I saw was her looking at a piece of glass and seeing her reflection. She knew I was there. She said, 'Run, Baby Girl. I love you, but run, or he'll kill you too. Run.' And I ran."

"And you've been running ever since," he guessed.

She nodded jerkily, and he let go of her hand long enough to put his arms around her and hold her tightly.

"I miss her so much," she sobbed, clutching at him desperately. "It was not an accident! I saw him kill her! I saw him through her eyes!"

"I believe you," he soothed, rocking her gently. "I believe you." And he did. For reasons he couldn't explain, he believed her.


	3. Chapter 3

"I miss her so much," Marsin sobbed. "I never even got to say good-bye to her." Dilsen had his arms around her, holding her tightly and rocking her gently, the way he had been for several minutes, while she cried.

"Sometimes we don't get to," Dilsen said softly.

"I spent nights waking up to her screams. It was almost a month before I could go to sleep without a sleep aid because I went to a Vulcan healer, who put some kind of block on the memory. He said he didn't block it completely, just dampened it enough so I could sleep without the nightmares."

"That's good."

"I just don't want Grandmother to find me," she whimpered.

"Let me see what I can do, okay?" he soothed. "I may not be able to stop her from finding you, as she sounds like a pretty powerful woman, but I can stop her from visiting or making you leave Starfleet by making it difficult to pinpoint your location. I do have a few friends of my own in certain Houses."

She sniffled, her tears starting to ease off. "You can do that?" she asked, lifting her head up.

He smiled at her. "I'm not without a few resources of my own."

She nodded and laid her head back on his shoulder, watching the flickering flames cast their shadow on the wall.

"I know why Father beat her the way he did that day; she was going to divorce him," she said. "I was away from the house, where he couldn't go after me, and she was finally going to divorce him and take everything."

"Did she tell you that?"

"No, her lawyer did. Apparently he had instructions to contact me right away in the event of her death and even he thought the timing of her death was wrong." She shivered. "He also helped me run because he knew that once Father read Mom's will, he would very likely try and go after me."

"That doesn't sound good."

"Mom had a long-term savings account that had grown to mega bucks over the years. She also had a small tract of land in the Southern Hemisphere, good growing land. Normally, the next of kin would inherit anything, in this case, Father."

"But that didn't happen."

"No. Mom set it up so I inherited everything. Then she added a special clause in the will. If she died before my twenty-fifth birthday, Father would receive nothing. For every year that she was alive after my twenty-fifth birthday, he would receive a small percentage."

"And you were twenty-one when she died, so he got nothing. Bet he loved that."

"Mister Tangrogh said they had to call Building Security on him," she said sourly. "When I graduate from the Academy, the land and money are mine. I would have received a fair chunk as a graduation gift had she still been alive, but since she's not, I get it all. I asked Mr. Tangrogh to hold on to it until I graduate and he said he would."

"Maybe you should make your own will and make sure your father doesn't get anything in the event of a premature death," he suggested.

"Been thinking about that on and off," she confessed. She was in no hurry to move; Dilsen's arms and shoulder felt good, really good. Then her stomach grumbled; he chuckled and she blushed.

"Come on; let's get something to eat," he said, smiling at her. "I know a few places you might like."

"Do any of them serve coffee, especially the really strong stuff?" she asked hopefully.

"There's a coffee house you might like," he said. "They serve something called an espresso, which I understand is very strong."

Marsin perked up at that. A short time later Marsin was in coffee heaven, having just taken a sip of her first espresso. She and Dilsen were at an outdoor cafe in the downtown area of San Francisco. Her order of a cheeseburger with fries would be following shortly.

"You seem like you know this area," she said.

"Spent a lot of my off time wandering around here," he said, taking a sip of his caramel latte. "San Francisco is one of the United State's oldest cities and it's got a lot of history in it. It stopped me from thinking too much of my own history."

"Is there a museum around here?"

"There are several; it just depends on what interests you."

She bit her lip, trying to decide. "Do they have any that show the aquatic life around here?"

He smiled. "I know just the one. It's called the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It's great because they have a lot of live, well-cared for, natural species. There's even a section where it feels like you're walking undergo water." Her eyes lit up at the prospect, giving him her answer. "Once we're done eating, then that's where we'll go."

Once they were done eating, they headed for the aquarium and Marsin lost track of time. There were sharks that had been around since prehistoric times, penguins, fish of all sizes and colors, and even a few other species she wasn't sure about. What fascinated her, though, were the seals. Marsin and Dilsen got lucky with their timing; they arrived in time for the feeding and Marsin was given a chance to see one of the seals, known as a sea lion, up close and personal.

Afterwards, Dilsen took Marsin on one of the tour boats that were offered around the marina. As he watched, he noticed she was relaxing. "You gonna be okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Thank you for taking me here."

He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her tightly. "Any time, Sharee, any time."

He was so close, she thought, and he felt so good. She could smell him and he smelled good, real good. She lifted her head up and caught him looking at her, almost as if he could hear her thoughts.

'Yes, I can,' his voice whispered through her mind. He leaned his head against hers. 'You know I'm married, right?'

'Yes, so you've said. I also know you're not happy with your marriage and that your wife doesn't love you the way you thought she did.'

'Yes. I've had a few affairs during my time at the Academy. Does that bother you?'

'No. I'm sure my mother had her fair share of affairs during the course of her marriage. Why?'

'Because I really, really want to kiss you.'

Marsin's eyes went wide. 'Okay, but I don't know how to kiss.'

Her face flushed and before she could look down in embarrassment, he tucked a finger under her chin, whispered, 'Sharee,' and kissed her.

Marsin was sure her knees were about to give out from under her.


	4. Chapter 4

They made it back to the Academy before dark but not before Dilsen stole another kiss from Marsin.

Over the course of the following week he would continue to do so and she began to make excuses to spend time with him. On his encouragement, she sought out Talla, the Andorian, and made peace with the blue-skinned female alien. As she later explained to him, they weren't exactly friends but they weren't enemies either.

Two weeks in to the new relationship, Marsin came back from class to find a small stuffed toy on her dorm room desk, along with a vase of colorful flowers she recognized as being from the Academy gardens. The note that was included simply said, "Sharee, Happy birthday. J." The stuffed toy was a representation of a sea lion and was the softest, cuddliest stuffed toy she'd ever thought possible.

The toy found a place of honor on her pillow and Dilsen found himself the recipient of a very enthusiastic kiss in private later that day. Boothby, the grounds keeper was given a kiss on his cheek for allowing Dilsen to have the flowers to give to her.

As for Grandmother, Dilsen was true to his word when he got in touch with his own grandmother. He explained the situation to her and she agreed to help by talking to Marsin's grandmother and convincing her that not being found was the safest option for her only grandchild.

In the forth week of their affair, Marsin was beginning to experience a very difficult and uncomfortable problem. She wanted Dilsen, badly. The kisses were fabulous, the cuddles and touches were nice, but everything she'd heard, read, and seen told her there was more and it had the potential to be really, really good. It was just trying to find the time and place to find out without being disturbed for at least several hours.

The opportunity came in the form of what the Academy called a long weekend; four days off. It was meant to give students a bit of a break before they started knuckling down to study for mid-term exams.

Dilsen knew this had been coming for a while and he had been carefully planning things. He had stocked his fridge and his pantry with plenty of items that he could cook and entertain with, as well as several bottles of a non-alcoholic fruit wine. He was planning to wine and dine Marsin, not get her drunk.

He didn't know why he was going to such lengths to make Marsin feel comfortable around him when he took their relationship to the next level. He only knew that it was important to him.

Unlike Dilsen's previous lovers, Marsin was different. His other lovers had been about good, uncomplicated company or a roll in the sheets to satisfy a sexual urge. Marsin had not been involved in such relations before so the concept was almost alien to her. She had only seen how ugly a relationship could get, not how good it could be. He was determined to show her just how good a relationship between a male and a female could be.

The long weekend was coming up and Dilsen had sent Marsin a note, complete with a pretty rose, inviting her to his place for the weekend. She wasn't sure what he was up to but did agree to the invitation, even promising to pack a light carry-all.

When classes let out for the weekend, Marsin changed in to an emerald-green ankle-length dress with an A-line skirt, princess seams on the bodice, a sweetheart neckline, and off-the-shoulder fitted sleeves. She had selected it on impulse from an online store in San Francisco and, with a little help from her roommate, who was a human female by the name of Debbie Armstrong, she also chosen a few pretty underthings. Armstrong knew Marsin was seeing someone but didn't know who and had enough sense not to push the subject. She had learned early on that Marsin was a private person and valued her privacy highly.

When Marsin rang the door chime to Dilsen's quarters, she had to first wipe her sweating hands on her dress, nervous as she was.

The doors hissed open and she entered. At first, seeing no one, she looked around curiously before calling out for Dilsen.

"Jon?" she called, both verbally and mentally.

"Be right there," he called back from somewhere at the back. 'Help yourself to something to drink, if you'd like.' Much to his disgust, Dilsen had gotten nailed with a last-minute conversation with a commodore who was concerned about his daughter's performance in his class. Dilsen, frankly, thought the girl had no business even being in the Academy, but wasn't about to admit that to the officer.

Finally, the conversation ended and Dilsen was able to sign off. He headed for the main room and discovered Marsin had taken him up on his offer of a drink. She now had a glass of a sparkling fruit drink in one hand and was checking out the few photos he had on his wall.

He came up behind her and gently kissed the exposed skin of her neck, liking her dress for the way it exposed her shoulders.

"Hi there," he said softly, drawing her against him.

"Hi yourself," she replied, twisting her neck so she could see him. She accepted his kiss, liking the way it felt with him holding her like that.

"I'm glad you came," he said, reaching up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. He impulsively kissed the shell of her ear, liking the way she shivered at the contact. He followed up with kisses along her neck and shoulder, places he hadn't been able to explore before because of her uniform.

"Thank you for inviting me," she managed to get out, her eyes falling shut from the pleasurable sensations Dilsen was creating in her.

"I like this dress," he said, continuing his attentions.

"My roommate, Debbie, helped me pick it out. Something about the color and my eyes," she moaned.

"Really?" he asked, not really caring. All he could think about was how good it felt to be able to hold her like this, to be able to touch her without keeping an eye or thought out for others.

"Jon?"

"Yes?"

"I'm about to drop my drink," she confessed, her voice quivering.

'And I really need to slow down a bit,' he thought. 'She's new at this.' He stopped his sensual torment and let her turn around. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"A bit, yes," she admitted. "Is everything okay?" she asked, wondering if she'd done something wrong.

He smiled. "If you mean with the way things were going, yes, everything is okay. You haven't done anything wrong. We have all weekend to enjoy the physical side of pleasure, so there's no need to rush. I want you to be comfortable with me and this is a bit of a different setting than what we've been used to for the last several weeks."

"Oh, okay," she replied, relief surging through her.

He leaned his head against hers. 'We have time,' he whispered through her mind. 'Plenty of time for me to show you sweet pleasure. Be patient. It'll be worth it, I promise.'

'There's just one tiny little problem,' she confessed, sliding her hand up his chest and marveling at the feel of his muscles under his uniform, which he hadn't had time to change out of.

'What's that?' he asked, running his hands down her back and hips.

'I'm not so sure I can be patient. I've been burning with feelings I don't understand but want more of.' She bit her lip, blushing. 'I feel like I'm going crazy.'

'You're not going crazy,' he promised. 'I want you, badly, but I also want to be sure you enjoy it completely. There's more to this kind of pleasure than just the intercourse, believe me.'

'I believe you, and I'll follow your lead but could I please have one small request?'

He knew what she wanted. It was the same thing he wanted. He took her glass from her and set it on a nearby table. Then he cupped her face in his hands and proceeded to kiss her very thoroughly. When he finally stopped, she was certain she was going to collapse on the floor.

"I was able to acquire some fruit from some of the warmer parts of America," he said, gently leading her towards the kitchen-dining area. "Have you ever heard of a fruit called a honey dew? It's a type of melon and very sweet."

"Is it anything like the watermelon?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"It's in the same family," he replied, smiling. "Some people love dipping chunks of it in melted chocolate, along with strawberries and other small fruit pieces." He grinned at the expression of delight on her face.

Over the course of the next hour Dilsen slowly teased Marsin with touches and tastes. He got her out of her dress and discovered her black lace and dark green satin strapless bra and panties and black thigh high stockings. He himself stripped down to his underwear and they took things to the living area.

At one point Marsin was certain she was going to have to ask Dilsen if the environmental controls had been tampered with because it was getting very, very warm in the living quarters. There was a large fake fur rug on the floor and both she and Dilsen were laying on it, along with an assortment of comfortable pillows. He had even turned on a number of flameless candles that cast a warm glow in the darkening room.

Eventually there was nothing between them and Marsin was begging Dilsen, for what, she didn't know, but for something beyond her understanding.

He gave it to her and then, and only then, did he give in to his own physical needs.

That was only the beginning, as Marsin would later learn. It was much, much later that they finally fell into his bed and fell asleep, snuggled against each other.


	5. Chapter 5

2368

Marsin was now in to her third year at the Academy. She and Dilsen had continued to see each other and their relationship had grown considerably. Now residing in a small wooden trinket box was an eight-pointed star pendant on a silver chain. The silver star had a blue stone in the middle that had a naturally-occurring star burst in it. It had been a gift to Marsin from Dilsen after they had gone camping in Arizona one time. Officially, it had been part of her survival training; unofficially, it had been one of the more special times of their relationship.

That year was marred by several events. First, there was the death of Cadet Joshua Albert, caused by a really stupid stunt by the rest of the Nova Squadron. Not only did the incident kill Albert, it also lead to the expelling of Cadet Nicholas Locarno and caused two other Cadets, Wesley Crusher and Sito Jaxa, to be held back a year.

Marsin knew of Locarno, having encountered him once. She had considered him arrogant, even more so when he attempted to make a pass at her. That had resulted in a minor 'accident' when her espresso had fallen in to his lap.

The relationship between Marsin and Dilsen took a hit when, having gotten comfortable with their relationship, she momentarily forgot her respective rank as a Second Class Cadet, and gone against orders to help another cadet who had managed to get himself stuck on an away team training mission. When she had tried to argue her case, he reprimanded her for her actions and sharply reminded her of her rank. When they got back to the Academy after the training mission, Marsin was given the unpleasant task of cleaning the shuttle craft's plasma intake manifolds and exhaust manifolds. In a fit of stubbornness, she then proceeded to clean the entire shuttle. She would later collapse on her bed from sheer exhaustion and nearly be late for her morning class the following morning.

With both Dilsen and Marsin equally stubborn, neither of them spoke to each other for several days, other than a cold politeness when they passed or encountered each other. They couldn't avoid each other as Dilsen was instructing Away Team maneuvers and procedures, which was what Marsin was taking. This lead to a number of sleepless nights for him and a tear-stained pillow for her.

Then Dilsen suddenly vanished.

The instructor who took his place was a human by the name of Lieutenant Commander Kent, a former Chief of Security, who proceeded to put the class through their paces until they nearly dropped from exhaustion. When one cadet did drop from heat exhaustion and Kent was merciless towards the young Bajorian female, it rallied the rest of the class to work together and work against what Kent expected of them, which was to fail, especially when he threatened to fail all of them.

When Marsin, out of curiosity, went to Kent and attempted to find out what had happened to Dilsen, she was told to either drop the matter and mind her own business or she'd be taking a dip in the Academy pool in her uniform and made to do so many laps she'd drown before he was satisfied. The only thing that stopped her from going to one of the higher ranking instructors was a message she covertly received from a Vulcan instructor Dilsen apparently trusted to be discrete.

"Sharee, if you're seeing this, then it's because you're questioning my sudden absence," Dilsen said, the message playing on her computer screen in her room. "Don't, for your sake and the sake of my mission. I can't tell you where I'm going or what I'll be doing, or even if I'll be back. I can only tell you that it's important and it could save a lot of lives if it goes well. If and when I get back, you'll know, I promise. If I don't, then promise me you'll think kindly of me and try to find someone who will make you happy, the way you deserve to be. For now, put up with Lieutenant Commander Kent, even though I know he's a jackass. I'm counting on you to keep that class together."

Marsin, through her tears, did promise the image of Dilsen to stop asking questions, rally the class together, and, if she never saw him again, to think kindly of him.

Three long weeks later, Marsin came back to her room, ready to collapse from mental exhaustion, when she found something. Leo, the toy sea lion Dilsen had given her, was on her desk, a single red rose between its paws. On a Personal Access Display Device, or PADD, were a series of numbers and the single letter, "J".

When night fell, Marsin headed, almost running, to Dilsen's quarters. She punched in a series of numbers in to the access panel beside the door and the door hissed open. Stepping cautiously inside, she called, 'Jon?'

He was here; she could feel it. That argument and reprimand all those weeks ago, it no longer mattered. All that mattered was that he was back. Was he okay, though? She wasn't stupid; a secretive mission was never just a song and dance, especially if lives were on the line.

She was here, Dilsen realized, relief surging through him. He was in his shower, cleaning off the dirt and grime from his mission and trying to be careful of his knife wound. Yes, it was healing beautifully, according to the last doctor he'd seen, but even with all the advanced medical technology available, knife wounds still took a bit of time to heal. He was fortunate his wound hadn't been fatal. He had almost died from the blood loss more than the injury itself, but what had kept him going was his own promise to get back to Marsin.

She had been in class when he finally got back to the Academy and, knowing her lock code, he had gone in, left the rose with Leo, and a PADD containing his own lock code, with his signature, certain that she would understand. Judging by the fact that she had entered without pressing the door chime, she had. He felt her worry and concern in her touch and called back.

'I'm here,' he replied. He turned off his shower and carefully dried himself off. He had just stepped out of the bathroom when she came in to the bedroom. With his towel around his waist, the healing scar on his stomach was very visible.

Marsin's hands flew to her mouth in shock and horror. Then she was rushing up to him.

"Sweet stars, what happened?" she demanded, carefully running her fingers over the scar. It was healing well, meaning he'd gotten proper medical attention, and it didn't look like the weapon, whatever it was, had not gone all the way through.

He groaned softly and she flinched, not wanting to hurt him.

"It doesn't hurt, sweetheart, but your touch tickles in a way," he admitted, placing his hand over hers.

"Jon, I, I'm sorry about, about before, stepping over-"

She never got a chance to finish because he put his fingers to her lips, silencing her.

"It's forgiven and forgotten already," he said softly.

She nodded and carefully slid her arms around him, sighing when he did the same. She laid her head on his chest, as her head didn't quite reach his shoulder, and felt herself beginning to relax. His scent reached her nose, awakening something else. She looked up at him, seeing him looking down at her.

'Sharee,' he whispered.

She didn't answer, just pulled his head down for a kiss he willingly gave.

The next morning, Marsin only just made it to class on time.


	6. Chapter 6

2370

Marsin didn't know whether she wanted to scream, cry, or throw things.

It was Graduation Day for her and nearly eighty or so other Academy students. It was supposed to be one of the best days of her life.

And it wasn't.

Her heart had been completely, totally shattered. Even a warp core explosion couldn't have done that much damage.

The reason for her heartache was simple; Adreal Zonguah Dilsen had shown up. Adreal, otherwise known as Dilsen's wife. And she had made it very plain she wanted her husband, even if her husband wasn't so sure he wanted her anymore.

They had been at the main ceremony grounds and the final speech had just been given by the Head Administrator of the Academy, officially welcoming them to Starfleet and declaring them all Ensigns. In the ensuing celebration, Dilsen and Marsin had found their way to each other and he had practically lifted her off her feet with his tight hug. His voice had said congratulations but his mental touch had promised so much more.

That was, until Marsin found herself being rudely elbowed aside by a woman with long, curly black hair and a flowing dress with a very low-cut neckline.

She had introduced herself as Adreal, Dilsen's wife. That's what she had said verbally. That was not what she said mentally.

'Stay away from my husband, little girl,' Adreal had sneered. 'You've had your fun but he's mine now. Beat it, before I beat your sorry little ass.'

Humiliated, Marsin had stammered an excuse and quickly vanishing amid the crowd. Dilsen had called out to her, ready to shoot Adreal. 'Sharee, wait! We need to talk!'

'Tell that to your wife!' she had yelled back.

Now she was in her quarters, on the floor by her door, where she had collapsed after finally managing to get in. And the tears came.

She didn't know what she had expected, but certainly not this. Dilsen had been hinting at something special for her graduation, something that would let them continue to see each other. Now, with Adreal back in the picture, that most definitely wasn't going to happen. In fact, she didn't know what was going to happen.

Marsin hadn't graduated near the top of her class, but she had graduated with good marks and a major in Engineering and a minor in Emergency Medicine.

She had taken the Emergency Medical Course during her second year and, on Dilsen's encouragement, gone even further and taken the necessary courses to qualify as an Emergency Medical Technician, or an EMT. He reasoned that in Engineering, people easily got hurt, and having an engineer who was also an EMT could prove valuable to the Chief Engineer.

She had been looking forward to her graduation, to be able to wear that pip on her collar, and to be able to spend a few days with Dilsen before she went to her first posting. Now, all she could see were long, empty days and lonely nights without the one person who had made the last three years special for her.

It took her a moment to realize someone was calling her.

'Sharee! Sharee, please answer me, darling!'

Her breath hitching, she swiped at her tears and answered Dilsen.

'I'm here,' she replied, feeling drained.

'Thank stars,' he groaned. 'Look, I'm sorry about Adreal. I didn't even know she was going to show up like that. You didn't deserve the way she treated you.'

'I'm guessing she treats all women she sees as competition like that,' she said.

'Trust me, when it comes to competing against her, you take the prize every time,' he said soothingly.

She could tell by his touch that he meant every word, and she found herself smiling. He always could get her to smile; that was one of the things she loved about him.

'I need to see you, please,' he coaxed.

'What about Adreal? I really don't want to run in to her again.'

'I can transport you to one of the shuttle bay holding docks in a few minutes,' he suggested. 'I dumped Adreal on a visiting Admiral.'

She bit her lip then said, 'Okay.'

'I'll signal you when I'm ready to transport.'

Marsin had learned a lot about Dilsen over the years and one of the things she had learned was that he liked an old, late twentieth century Earth television show called M.A.S.H. that had run for about eleven years and focused on a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during Earth's Korean War between 1950 and 1953. She had learned about it when, during one of her difficult days, when she had been doubting herself, her world, and them, and she had gotten snappy with him, only to apologize later, he had quoted a line from the show, from a character named Colonel Potter.

"Listen, when you love somebody, you're always in trouble. There's only two things you can do about it: either stop loving 'em, or love 'em a whole lot more."

That was when he told her that no matter what, he was just going to keep on loving her.

Marsin had watched the show a few times with him and thus learned his favorite quote from a character named Benjamin Hawkeye Pierce; "Insanity is just a state of mind."

That quote was now engraved on a special set of dog tags, like the ones the American Army personnel used to wear. One tag had the insanity quote, while the other tag had her favorite quote from Hawkeye; "Forward, drink!"

She had planned to give the dog tags to him during their post-graduation celebration but with the arrival of Adreal, that had pretty much been shot to the edge of space and beyond. Looking at the tags in the box, Marsin debated with herself whether or not to give them to him or not, them decided to just stuff the thing in her pocket and play it by ear.

'Ready,' Dilsen said suddenly.

'Same here,' she replied, tucking the box in her pocket.

The whine of the transporter reached her ears and her world faded away, to be replaced with the interior of a shuttle craft.

Dilsen was waiting for her and when he saw her, he reached for her and she for him.

"I am so sorry about all this. I honestly didn't know she was going to show up, especially not today of all days," he said.

"It's not your fault," she replied, placing her fingers on his lips to silence him. "I believe you about it, okay? I believe you. Right now I just need you to kiss me, please."

"I can do that," he whispered, before proceeding to kiss her senseless.

By the time they surfaced, they were laying on the shuttle floor. They were still fully dressed but their dress uniform jackets were now open.

"I don't trust Adreal to come after me," Marsin confessed, stroking his hair.

"I don't either," he admitted. "She sees you as competition, her rival, and I've seen what can happen to those rivals, even if they didn't consider themselves rivals to her."

"Bad?"

"Names and careers ruined," he said sourly. "I know you can handle yourself, but not against someone like Adreal and not when you're trying to keep yourself hidden."

"Okay."

"I had originally planned to get you a posting here, near the Academy, with the Department of Engineering, but with Adreal here, you're no longer safe." She nodded. "So, as much as I hate myself for doing this to us, I was able to secure you a posting on one of the best ships in the fleet, under one of the best captains around; the Enterprise, with Captain Picard."

She buried her head in his chest, struggling not to cry. "I understand," she whispered hoarsely. "I don't like it, but I understand. When do I leave?"

"You'll be joining up with the Yamato at oh-nine hundred tomorrow morning, and they will catch up with the Enterprise at Deep Space Nine in about four days, providing there aren't any issues along the way."

She nodded, and then took a deep breath. "In that case, since we don't have a lot of time left, I have something for you," she said.

"So do I," he admitted. "And more importantly, I want to love you, but not here. Care to follow me?"

"I'd follow you anywhere," she said, smiling.

He quickly accessed the shuttlecraft's transporter controls and within seconds, they were materializing in a different room, one with a large bed and a bottle of sparkling fruit juice. She didn't know where they were and she didn't care.

They wasted no time, determined to make the best of things while they still could.

He loved the dog tags and she loved the compass pendant with crystal gems. On the back was a quote.

"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow."

He had said that to her once, when she had been so tired and so afraid of failing. And the compass? So she would always be able to find her way, even if it was back to him, he explained.

By oh-seven-thirty the next morning, she was gone, having been transported back to her room at the Academy. The only thing left was her scent on the sheets and a promise from him to try and make his marriage work. If he couldn't, then let Adreal go and give himself a real chance to be happy.

By oh-nine-hundred, Marsin was on the Yamato and half an hour later, the ship was gone, heading for Deep Space Nine.

As for Dilsen and Adreal, he began to try and get to know his wife again.

Except Adreal wasn't interested in getting to know him. Nor was she interested in working on their marriage. Instead, she was determined to find out just who the brunette she had seen Dilsen hugging a little too affectionately at the Academy graduation was and where the twitch had gone.

But Dilsen refused to talk about her, changing the subject every time. For nearly two weeks she asked, prodded, and searched.

When Adreal tried to probe his mind, she was shocked to discover some pretty solid mental shields in place. The only hint she got was when she was woken up by him one night, having a nightmare. He called out to someone named Sharee, begging her to come back.

Beyond that, there was nothing. No pictures, no gifts, nothing. Not even some clothes left behind, or an earring. Even his friends, the few he introduced her to, were mum on the subject.

So Adreal decided to play dirty, which she loved doing.

The next time he made dinner, she was sweet and charming, hoping to catch him off-guard. Then, just when he was about to put the dessert dishes away, she pounced.

"I wonder what Father would think of Sharee, being a home wrecker and all that? I assume she is a Betazoid, right, or at least partially. And I'm guessing she's Starfleet, maybe even that drippy little brown mouse I saw you with at that graduation ceremony? If she is, I sincerely hope she's very far from here. I would hate to see her career ruined so soon."

Dilsen considered himself a peaceful man, not prone to violence or fits of temper. He could be reasonable and he could be negotiated with, provided the terms were fair and the other side was willing. However, like most fair-minded people, there were certain lines one did not cross with him. Threatening someone he cared about, threatening to hurt them simply because she could, that was a very big no-no.

And Adreal had just crossed that line. She hadn't simply stepped over it a little bit; she had run right past it by several miles.

Adreal watched as her husband's shoulders stiffened, his back straightened, and when he turned to look at her, his eyes had grown dangerously dark.

He carefully set the dishes on the counter and then proceed to walk towards her with careful, measured steps. For the first time in a long time, Adreal was afraid, not that she was about to admit it.

He leaned forward and planted both hands on either side of her chair. Then he spoke, never raising his voice, but each word as loud as a scream that echoed through her mind.

'You listen to me, you little bitch. Do not ever, ever bring up her name again. You will leave her alone. Get your stuff and get the hell out. I don't care what you do or where you go but I never, ever want to see your face around me again.'

'Who is she?' Adreal demanded. 'I have a right to know!'

'No, you don't. You lost that right years ago. The only reason I didn't divorce you sooner was for the family honor.' He held up one finger and continued. 'But give me the slightest cause to think you've started looking where you have no right to be, and I'll divorce you and leave you with nothing, and when I say nothing, I mean NOTHING, not even the clothes on your miserable backside. I will take everything you own and donate it to some grateful charity. Do you understand me?'

Adreal swallowed hard. She didn't dare push things and she knew it. She nodded.

He straightened up. 'I'm going out. Be gone when I get back or I'll put you out on your ass.' He strode for the door and was gone.

'I thought you loved me!' she shouted, trying to get in a parting shot.

But he got the last word.

'You are not my imzadi and you most definitely never will be.'

When he came back three hours later, she was gone. Three days later he was on a shuttlecraft for a week-and a half long trip to Starbase 62, a supply base for Federation ships.


	7. Chapter 7

As he moved through the ship, First Officer Commander William Riker was studying the PADD in his hand, which contained an inventory list that the Enterprise was picking up or exchanging with Deep Space Nine. That list included a small number of new or transferring personnel. Walking beside him was Chief of Security, Lieutenant Worf. As they discussed the inventory, they rounded a corner and Worf nearly collided with what he thought was a young human female with brown hair in a low pony tail, and wearing the gold version of the uniform.

"Oh!" said the female. "My appologies, sirs." She was carrying a simple travel bag over one shoulder and had a travel-worn look about her. Both Riker and Worf noted the single pip on her collar; she was an ensign.

"Welcome aboard, Ensign?" Riker said, while asking her name.

"Ensign Sharee Marsin, sir," she said.

Riker checked his PADD; Marsin was definitely listed as one of the new crewmen they were picking up. She had also just graduated from the Academy with good marks and a major in Engineering.

"Are you finding your way around okay?" Riker asked.

She gave a small smile. "Quite well, sir. I always manage to find my way."

"I'm Commander Riker, First Officer, and this is Lieutenant Worf, Chief of Security," Riker said, doing introductions.

"A pleasure to meet you, sirs," Marsin said politely.

Worf gave a low, rumbling growl, twitching his lips. It was meant to make her nervous, a tactic he pulled on all new ensigns as a way of having a little bit of fun with them. The majority of ensigns had heard the so-called horror stories about him and usually tried to run.

Not Marsin.

She looked at him almost thoughtfully, and then said, "Yes sir, I'll take that under serious consideration. If you'll excuse me, sirs?"

"Dismissed, ensign," Riker said, nodding.

Marsin vanished around the corner, leaving Riker to look at Worf, who was standing there with an almost comical crestfallen look on his face. He started laughing and made a mental note to keep an eye on Marsin. If someone like her could easily stand up to someone like Worf, who towered over her by at least a foot and a half, then she had promise.

When Riker got back to his quarters, the first thing he did was look up Marsin's record.

There was nothing special there, just good marks, a disciplinary note for punching out another student during her first and second year at the Academy, and a recommendation from Commander Dilsen that she continue her studies in both close combat and emergency medicine, written during her fourth year. This was the same Dilsen who had originally written up the first disciplinary note.

The final Academy physiological review noted a drastic change in Marsin from when she first arrived at the Academy.

"Though initially considered withdrawn and quiet, making no serious attempt at interaction with the other cadets, Marsin has since come a long way. She now has several friends, though none close, and admitted to being in a relationship with someone who treated her well. On several occasions she has demonstrated the behavior of an older sibling taking charge of her younger siblings. This is apparently due to the fact that she is at least several years older that the majority of the students when they first arrive here and several of them have admitted she makes them feel safe and secure when they, themselves, aren't feeling that way.

Cadet Marsin has displayed a temper that is usually brought on by someone insulting her. The common denominator seems to be when she is referred to as a wimp or weakling. One such cadet, Cadet Talla, attempted to do so during Marsin's second year and was shortly needing to report to Sick Bay to be treated for a broken nose. Shortly afterwards I was informed that Marsin approached Talla on her own and attempted to make efforts to at least become civil towards each other. I commend Marsin for this effort. When I interviewed her recently, she admitted to having better control over both her fist and her words, largely in part due to a friend, whom she flatly refused to name, citing privacy issues that I agreed to respect.

All in all, I believe Marsin to be a stable, well adjusted person who will do well with her career. Given that she has come from what she describes is a background that includes a physically abusive father and a deceased mother, she has shown remarkable resilience and I believe this will serve her well in times to come. Wherever she goes and whatever she may decide to do, I wish her well."

"Well," Riker thought, leaning back in his chair, "that explains why Worf didn't intimidate her; she's seen worse than him."

But then he noticed something curious; Marsin's entrance exam. She had received the standard physiological exam, but there was no record of any other exam. In fact, the only thing he could find was an official notice of acceptance from an Admiral Cleverson, posted on Betazed, and citing special circumstances.

"Special circumstances?" Riker repeated. According to what he was seeing, there was nothing special about Marsin. But then again, that was just her service record and those records didn't always tell the whole story.

He decided to give her time to settle in and keep an eye on her for now.

A week later, Riker caught up with Lieutenant Commander Geordie LaForge, Enterprise's Chief Engineer and Ensign Marsin's supervisor.

"You got a minute?" Riker asked him, looking around for Marsin, who was scheduled to be on duty at that moment.

"For you, Commander, always, as long as you can move with me," LaForge replied easily.

"You met Ensign Marsin yet?"

"Dark hair, about five foot five, empath?" LaForge asked.

"That sounds like her," Riker said.

"She knows her stuff. Keeps to herself and follows orders with no problem," LaForge said, fingers dancing over a panel. "Rumor has it she stood up to Worf when he tried to growl at her."

"No rumor," Riker said. "He growled at her and she simply said she'd take whatever it was under serious consideration."

"Bet he loved that," LaForge said, grinning. "Ah, I don't have any problems with her. She's got promise. Why?"

"Just keeping an eye on her. With the way she stood up to Worf like that, most graduates run in fear of him."

Suddenly, there was a small, crackling explosion, a flash from somewhere, and someone yelled in pain.

"Bennie, that you?" LaForge yelled, apparently recognizing the yell.

"Yes sir!" Bennie yelled back from near the warp core.

"What'd you do?" LaForge asked.

"Forgot to check the power levels before I touched a circuit panel with my spanner," came the sheepish reply.

"Which means you gave yourself a second degree electrical burn, didn't you?" came Marsin's voice as she headed up the ladder to the second level, a medikit strapped across her chest.

"How'd you guess?" was the sheepish sounding question.

"Maybe because that's the second time he's done that?" LaForge asked sourly.

Curious, Riker discretely followed Marsin up the ladder to the open access panel to where a dark-skinned humanoid sat clutching his hand. Beside him, a male Vulcan continued to work on the panel, probably repairing the damage caused by the minor power shock.

As Riker watched, Marsin set the medikit down beside Bennie, crouched down, cracked the medikit open, and took out the medical tricorder, detaching the palm scanner. After a quick scan with the palm scanner to confirm that Bennie's injury was just a second degree burn with no further complications, she took out the dermal regenerator and began to repair the injury.

"You're going to have to start being a bit more careful, buster," Marsin gently chided him gently. "This could have been a lot more serious than just a minor burn, and until I get the final go-ahead from Dr. Crusher, I'm not even a fully certified EMT, which means my skills are a bit limited. I'm supposed to be an engineer, not a nurse."

"But you're good at it," Bennie said.

"Thank you, I think."

"Got anything for the pain?" Bennie asked.

"The initial discomfort will wear off in a bit," Marsin said, putting the dermal regenerator away and closing up the medikit. "As for everything else, live with it. Maybe it'll remind you next time to check the power levels before you get frisky with the circuits."

"Wish I could get frisky with you," Bennie muttered.

"You know, I knew a guy at the Academy who once said the same thing to me," Marsin said casually, straightening up. "He wound up with a burned crotch when I dropped my espresso in his lap." She looked at Bennie and raised one eyebrow. "Don't be as stupid as he was."

'Message received,' Riker thought, a grin on his face. 'She ain't nobody's fool.' He made a mental note to talk to Dr. Crusher about Marsin completing her EMT certification; if she could handle guys like Bennie, then they definitely needed her.


	8. Chapter 8

The first two weeks on the Enterprise had been hell for Marsin. Sure, she was busy like crazy, learning her way around the Galaxy-class starship, learning her jobs, learning everything. That made the days easier but not the nights.

Sleep time was the worst, when she tried to close her eyes. It was then that her loneliness would catch up to her and she'd find herself wondering how Dilsen was doing. Several times she reached for a PADD to start a letter to him, only to stop and remember Adreal.

She had to let him go.

She tried to keep herself so busy that by the time she finally went to bed, she was too tired to dream. On impulse, she had even started taking Worf's beginner level mok'bara classes.

There was also the additional medical training Dr. Crusher was putting her through. For some reason, the doctor had decided that just because she had majored in Engineering, there was no reason why she couldn't know her way around Sick Bay, especially in an emergency. As Crusher had rightfully pointed out, there would be times when a doctor or nurse simply couldn't get there in time and being a fully certified EMT could help save lives.

But all that didn't always stop the tears at night, when she tried to sleep.

She had heard about Counselor Deanna Troi, the empathic ship's counselor, and had been tempted to go talk to her on several occasions, but that would mean talking about things she wasn't so sure she wanted to talk about. Besides, she wasn't sure if she could trust Troi with those kind of secrets just yet. If ever.

So she struggled on.

It was during her third week that she had what she was sure was one of the worst days of her life.

Crusher had apparently decided she was ready to complete her EMT certification and had sent her to the holodeck to prepare for a simulation test.

She had been waiting for about a minute, going over things in her head when, suddenly, the ship had rocked violently, throwing her to the floor. The sound of an explosion reached her ears and the holodeck had flickered.

Power problems. She needed to get to Engineering and report to her post right away, she thought, managing to get up off the floor.

"Computer, door!" she barked. The doors hissed open and she took off down the corridor.

Yellow Alert klaxons were going off, people were running all over the place. On the way to Engineering she stopped to quickly treat a little girl who had gotten a nasty bump on her head from the ship shake. After reassuring both the girl and her worried father that things would be okay and advising them to head for a secure area of the ship and see a nurse for a follow-up later, she quickly continued on her way.

She was half way there when she came across an explosion. From what she could see, it looked like several EPS relays had blown, sending shrapnel flying.

The first person she came across was a badly burned crewman, with third degree burns on his hands and face. Marsin didn't think, she just reacted, hustling the injured crewman out of the area. When she tried to call for an emergency transport, she was told that the transporters were down.

Yelling at another crewman who was apparently uninjured, she had the crewman taken to a safe location away from the explosion.

Then a lieutenant in a Sciences uniform approached her.

"I need help! The transporters are down and it's going to take time for any medical personnel to get here!"

"Can we set up a triage of sorts?" Marsin asked, trying to get another dazed crewman out of the area. "Scramble all medikits and treat the ones we can until more help can get here?"

"There's a large meeting room just down the way; it would work," the lieutenant said.

"That'll do," Marsin said, following the officer.

She made sure her patient was secure before grabbing a medikit and going back. Time became a blur as she worked, stabilizing the ones she could and getting them to the conference room. Several times she had to get a few officers to help her move someone and a few times she had to bark at the crewmen, even though several of them outranked her.

At some point she removed her uniform jacket to use as a pillow for someone, leaving her only in her black tank undershirt.

Between finding all the victims and helping the ones she could, her main concern was getting everyone out of the area in case more relays blew, or worse.

The worst part was when she had to deal with a panicking lieutenant commander in a red uniform. He grabbed at her, nearly strangling her in the process, and she was forced to hit him in order to get him to calm down and focus. In the chaos, a necklace she had been wearing was ripped from her neck and lost.

Marsin wanted to hit the officer again but refrained. She told herself she'd find it when they started cleaning up and making permanent repairs.

From what she could tell, several EPS relays had blown as a result of a plasma fire, cause unknown at the time. The blown relays had knocked out transporter power and, worried about a cascade reaction, Engineering had shut down all the transporters.

Help arrived, along with Dr. Crusher and LaForge. She quickly reported to him and after a quick explanation of what she knew, was given permission to assist the medical staff in treating the injured.

Then something strange happened; a second Crusher appeared and said, "Computer, end simulation." Everything disappeared, to be replaced with the black squares and yellow lines of the holodeck.

Covered in soot, grime, and blood (how had she cut herself? She couldn't remember), Marsin stared at both Crusher and LaForge in confusion.

That had been a simulation? But she had sensed everyone, she had felt them. She knew she had. She was sure of it.

Behind her were Riker and Troi, who had been watching and providing some of the sense Marsin had felt. Several nurses had also been brought in because of her empathic ability, to play wounded crewmen. It had worked; Marsin had honestly believed it was a very real, very serious situation.

"Congratulations, Ensign. You passed," Crusher soothed.

"You did real good there," LaForge said, looking pleased with her.

Riker spotted something on the holodeck floor and picked it up. It was a necklace of sorts, and he looked at it curiously; it looked like a playful little silver mammal he recognized as being a seal, a species found in the oceans on Earth, with black crystal eyes, on a broken silver chain. Was this what had gone flying from the ensign's neck?

He reached out to pat Marsin on the shoulder to get her attention and suddenly found himself in a great deal of pain as her elbow shot back and connected with his face. It had been an instinctive reaction and, with adrenaline still rushing through her, Marsin had reacted.

Now she stared at him, hands over her mouth, horrified.

"You okay, Commander?" LaForge asked, wincing as Riker's fingers came away with blood from his split lip.

"Nice shot," Riker said instead to Marsin.

"I am so sorry, sir!" Marsin cried.

"Your adrenaline is still a bit high and you reacted," Troi soothed, watching Crusher fuss over the commander.

"It happens," Riker said easily. "I've taken worse hits from a Klingon I got involved in a fight with." He held up the necklace. "Yours?"

Marsin accepted the necklace gladly.

"It's very unusual," Troi commented.

"It was a gift from a friend during my fourth year at the Academy. We had gone to Hawaii for a vacation and I got a chance to see the monk seals that call the islands home," Marsin said, fingering the pendant. "This became a bit of a good luck charm for me and I'm glad I didn't lose it."

Troi got the strong feeling that the pendant was more than just a good luck charm; it held a lot of special memories for her, memories that brought her both joy and sorrow. Then, before she could probe further, Marsin slammed a shield across her mind, effectively shutting Troi out.

"Why don't you go get cleaned up, Ensign, and head for Ten Forward for a celebratory drink or some such thing?" LaForge suggested, holding up her uniform jacket. "I'll see you at the next Alpha shift; you've earned it."

"Yes sir," Marsin said, taking her jacket and leaving the holodeck. She wasn't sure how, but she managed to make it to her room before she collapsed on the floor, shaking and crying uncontrollably from the emotional shock. That was how her roommate found her and how Troi wound up coming to her quarters.

Once the situation had been explained, Ensign Tonya Macabee, Marsin's roommate, was more than sympathetic. She, herself, was a nurse and had gone through the same hellish simulation before graduating Medical School.

'God, Jon,' Marsin thought desperately. 'I miss you so damned much it's killing me. I wish I could hear your voice, see your face. I wish you were here to hold me. Why did Adreal have to show up and why, oh why, can't I be with you the way we were supposed to be?'


	9. Chapter 9

It had been nearly three weeks since Marsin had passed her EMT final simulation and Guinan was used to seeing a pleasant, reasonably cheerful Marsin come in to Ten Forward.

That wasn't the case today. Instead, as Guinan watched, Marsin ordered a cup of tea and headed for one of the corner seats. She sat, pulled up in to herself, watching the stars go by. She didn't say anything to anyone, nor did she invite conversation.

When Troi tried to approach her, she was gently but firmly rebuffed, leading her to seek advice from Guinan.

"She simply will not talk to me," Troi groused. "No matter what I say I cannot convince her I can be trusted enough for her to talk to me. Most of the time I'm not even really sure about what she's feeling because her shielding is the best I've ever seen, and she's an empath!"

"Maybe she has her reasons," Guinan suggested. "From what little she's said, she didn't have a very good relationship with her father."

"Her records do indicate an abusive father who physically abused her mother, supposedly up to the day her mother died in a shuttle craft accident."

"Exactly. Kids like that, they'll trust you with their life but not their secrets. It's a matter of survival for them and when they've been doing it for so long, it's all they know." She looked at Troi, continuing to wipe the bar down. "Maybe what she needs is someone she knows is not under any obligation to report anything to the captain."

"Like you?" Troi asked, a sardonic grin on her face. Guinan just smiled at her. "The only thing I was able to find out is that an Earth mammal, called a seal, holds a special fascination for her."

"Worf found out she's, to quote him, very cunning for someone very small and young. Seems he got in to a fight with her and he's not sure if he won or lost because she apparently got in some low blows that caught him off-guard."

"That would explain why he was limping when he came on shift," Troi said, grinning. "It also explains Data's comment to him, that he never knew Worf's voice could reach such a high pitch."

Guinan smiled. "Let me see what I can do, okay?"

Later that night, as Marsin was once again trying to get some sleep, she got a call from Guinan.

"I'm afraid I've injured myself and I really don't want to have the hassle of going to Sick Bay just to treat a scrape that would probably have to be written up and followed up and all that pain in the ass stuff," Guinan said, holding her injured hand.

"I see," Marsin said, looking at Guinan on her computer monitor. She didn't really see, but Guinan was nice enough and she supposed it wouldn't hurt just to do an in-house treatment. Besides, the bartender wasn't an officer.

"Alright, I'll be right there, but you'll have to excuse me if I'm not in uniform."

"That's fine. I never wear one anyway."

As promised, Marsin showed up not in uniform. She had passed Commander Riker in the corridor, who had inquired about her state of dress (bright pink camisole top and pants with black lace trim, and matching fuzzy ankle socks) and medikit.

"Just an in-house request from Guinan, sir," Marsin explained. "If it had been anyone else, I would have advised them to head for Sick Bay, but this is Guinan."

"Good point," Riker said, smiling. He knew Dr. Crusher had even done house calls for Guinan. He had a sneaking suspicion that Guinan was up to something but elected not to say for now.

Inside Guinan's quarters, Marsin repaired the nasty cut on her arm.

Then Guinan pounced. She waited until Marsin was putting her stuff away and said, "You know, you've shown yourself to be a very resourceful person. You've also shown that you're capable compassion and a swift kick when need be." As she spoke, she was programming the replicator for a warm cup of lemon-raspberry tea with a teaspoon of clover honey.

"I try to be," Marsin said, not sure where this was going.

"You're a good person, but something says you're hurting, big time, and you won't let anyone close enough to let them help you." She handed Marsin the tea and Marsin was forced to accept out of politeness.

"I don't trust easily, Guinan."

"You trust your superiors."

"I trust them not to get me killed. That doesn't mean I trust them with my secrets or personal thoughts."

"You're going to have to trust someone sometime."

"I do, but he's not here."

"And I am. I'm also not an officer. I am, however, a mother."

Marsin's eyebrows shot up. "I wouldn't have guessed." Guinan just smiled. She bit her lip. "Where do I start?"

"Wherever you want. We have time."

She told Guinan everything. And Guinan listened.

Her parents and their abusive relationship.

The so-called shuttle craft accident that was meant to cover up her mother's murder by her father's hand. The fact that she couldn't prove her mother was dead long before the shuttle craft exploded.

The screams she heard through her mind, the same screams a teacher, who had tried to help her, heard. The same teacher who was found dead of a broken neck the day she was supposed to testify about what she saw.

Her mother's will.

Her run from her father and her grandmother, hiding at Starfleet Academy. Managing to skip most of the entrance exam because of a major favor from Admiral Cleverson, someone she had never met but was a friend of a friend.

Commander Jon Dilsen. How he had taught her the joys of physical pleasure and shown her what a good relationship could be like. How she had loved him, sometimes hated him, and badly missed him. How he once called her his imzadi and she him.

The seals and the stars. Hawaii. Arizona. San Francisco. Espressos. The church.

Adreal.

Her nightmares.

Her mother's birthday.

Her own upcoming birthday.

Struggling with the decision to leave the Enterprise and head for Starfleet Medical to train as a nurse, as offered by Dr. Crusher, or to stay and continue to serve as an engineer with LaForge.

Her fear of her father finding her and killing her, especially when he learned of her will, which left everything to Dilsen, if he was still alive at the time of her death, or to a respectful charity organization, if he wasn't.

Marsin eventually found herself laying with her head in Guinan's lap, with Guinan stroking her hair. She was worn out emotionally, beyond anything she'd felt in a long time.

"Mom and I used to do this a lot," she admitted, "especially when I was sick or just not feeling good."

"It feels good, hmm?"

"It does," Marsin said sleepily.

After a minute, Guinan noticed a change in her breathing. It had gone deeper and slower, a pattern she recognized in humans as having fallen asleep.

She smiled and carefully removed herself from Marsin. Then, covering the sleeping woman with a light blanket, she went to her computer and tapped it.

"Guinan to Data."

"Data here. How may I help you, Guinan?" came the polite question from the android.

"I need a small favor and a little bit of discretion, if you wouldn't mind."

"Certainly."

When her alarm went off at the appointed time, Marsin jerked awake, surprised to find herself back in her quarters and on her own bed, covered in a blanket she didn't recognize. If it hadn't been for the blanket that bore the familiar scent of Guinan's quarters, she would have have sworn it was all a dream.

When she tried to return the blanket to Guinan, she was firmly told to keep it.

"I have a question for you," Guinan said, leaning casually against the bar.

"Okay," Marsin said, curious.

"What do you think of Commander Data?"

"I haven't had the opportunity to really speak with him, so I can't really say," Marsin replied. "I've seen him in Engineering a few times, talking to LaForge, but that's about it."

"Did you know he can be trusted?" Guinan asked. "Once you tell him a secret that he knows is a secret, he never tells anyone else, ever. He's also a very good investigator and can find things people would rather not have found. He can also do it a lot faster than you or I or even Geordie ever could."

"Okay. Why are you telling me this?"

"You want proof your mother was murdered? That she was dead before that shuttle craft exploded? If there's something to be found, Data will find it."

Marsin bit her lip. "And it won't come back to me, revealing my whereabouts?"

"He can be trusted," Guinan assured her. She waited patiently, letting Marsin roll it around in her mind.

Then Marsin nodded. "I trust you and if you say he can be trusted, then I believe you. I don't want to tell him everything, though."

"He doesn't need to know everything but he may have some questions for you."

"I'll answer them as best as I can."

"Then I'll talk to him and send him your way if he has any questions for you."

"Okay, thank you." She turned to leave, then hesitated. "Thank you for everything."

Guinan smiled and came around the bar to give her what she strongly suspected Marsin needed; a tight, motherly hug.


	10. Chapter 10

Picard was in Engineering, catching up with his Chief Engineer about the recent repairs from the damage they had sustained in their recent encounter with mercenaries. Most captains would have left things like that to their First Officer, but Picard liked to get his hands dirty, so to speak, and personally see how his crew was doing from time to time.

Suddenly, a brunette humanoid female headed for LaForge's office and punched in an access code before disappearing inside. She reemerged a moment later, carrying a medikit in one hand and a sour look on her otherwise pretty face.

"I'm supposed to be an engineer!" she groused, heading for one of the access tubes.

"You are; you're just fixing people instead of the ship," LaForge teased, apparently recognizing her.

There was no reply. Picard raised an eyebrow at LaForge.

"That's Ensign Marsin, our resident EMT-slash-engineer," he explained. "She must've gotten what she calls a boo-boo call again, and since the main medikit is in my office, I've entrusted her with the access code. She's one of the few that actually knows what she's doing." He resumed his earlier conversation with Picard.

A short time later, Marsin was seen coming back.

"I swear, these 'accidents' only occur because people know I'm a certified EMT, rather than bothering to be careful or go to Sick Bay."

"Saves time," LaForge said, apparently having heard this gripe before.

"For who?!" she shot back.

Picard looked at LaForge, who just grinned and shook his head in amusement. "We have this conversation at least once a day," he explained to Picard. "A few times I've been on the receiving end of her hands but her bark is worse than her bite and it never lasts long. Plus, she's always respectful."

"Riker described her as behaving like an older sibling towards the younger crew," Picard said thoughtfully.

"That's because she is older than the majority of the graduates that come through here," LaForge said, "and I'm not just talking age-wise."

"Mental-wise?"

"You could say that, or you could say she's older soul-wise, as Guinan might say."

"Indeed."

"I'm this close to taking Dr. Crusher up on her offer of Medical school," Marsin griped, coming out of LaForge's office after putting the medikit away. "I know my medikit better than I do my tool kit!"

"Ensign Marsin, I presume," Picard said dryly.

Marsin froze in mid-step. "Captain Picard," she squeaked.

"I've heard quite a bit about you," he said.

"Hopefully good," she said, eyes wide.

"Quite. Mr. Worf mentioned you were a very cunning young warrior and Dr. Crusher was quite impressed with the way you handled yourself during your Emergency Medical Technician simulation."

"Thank you, sir," Marsin said.

"Should you choose to enter Starfleet Medical, you will be endorsed and you will have an opening on the Enterprise," he assured her. "Having a nurse who knows her way around an engine or can do repairs on something other than a living body is always a welcome addition."

"Good to know, sir. Thank you."

"Who did what?" LaForge asked.

"Ensign Zefram slipped on one of the ladder rungs and caught himself on the chin pretty good," Marsin explained. "Bit of a nasty cut on his chin and a slightly rattled skull, but he's fine now."

"Seems like the majority of your patients are the guys," LaForge teased.

She gave him a sour look and said, "Excuse me for speaking frankly, sir, but I have as much interest in the boys as you do in prancing around Engineering in only your undershorts."

"Now that is a sight I would pay to see!" a female voice yelled back from somewhere.

"Not in this life time, Anders!" LaForge hollered back, grinning. He shook his head in amusement.

"Anyway, if you'll excuse me, sirs?" Marsin asked politely.

"Dismissed," Picard said, nodding. Marsin nodded and continued on her way.

"She's a good officer," Picard said. "I suspect that whatever career path she chooses, she'll do quite well."

Starbase 62:

The base was boring. That was about the only way Commander Dilsen could describe Starbase 62; boring.

Looking like a giant needle in space with branches out the top for docking ports for ships, the base was located near an uninhabited Class J gas giant planet in a Federation system. It was a supply base, nothing fancy, and also served as a connection or transfer point for people traveling between systems.

There was a Commodore Jake O'Riley who was the base's commander and one other commander, Missy Forrester. There were also a bunch of lieutenants, lieutenant commanders, and even ensigns.

Forrester was nice, even attractive, and Dilsen had been tempted by her charms, but in the end he just couldn't muster up enough interest. He still wanted Marsin.

He wondered how she was doing and, on impulse one day, checked her file. He had given a shout when he'd discovered she'd become a fully certified EMT, having passed the qualifying simulation given by CMO Dr. Crusher.

Adreal had contacted him once, apparently trying to make amends. He flatly refused to take her call and sent a message suggesting that she do them both a favor and end their farce of a marriage. She didn't reply.

He had started keeping a journal, finding it easier to pretend as if he were writing to Marsin. In fact, a lot of the times that's what the entries were; letters to Marsin.

God, he missed her. He knew her birthday was coming up and he thought about sending her the journal. Maybe even a holographic recording. He wasn't sure yet.

Then, one morning, he got the shock of his life.

"Buck up, Jonny boy," said Forrester. "We got a big one due in pretty damned quick and she's going to need a major stock up." She handed him the PADD and he glanced at it. Then he did a double take.

It was the Enterprise. And the ship was due in two days.


	11. Chapter 11

They were docked at Starbase 62, picking up various supplies and equipment for the Enterprise. LaForge had given Marsin the task of running a diagnostic check on some of the lesser checked systems while they had the chance. This was so he could make sure there wasn't anything minor that could pose a major problem later, especially if they didn't have the spare parts.

Marsin was quite happy to run the diagnostics because it kept her out of the way of the heavy hauling. LaForge was in one of the Jefferies tubes, checking a few things out himself and she could feel him muttering about something. She just smiled to herself.

It took a bit of bargaining with Forrester and a friendly conversation with Commander Riker, but Dilsen convinced the First Officer of the Enterprise to let him check out his ship and Forrester to cover for him for a bit. In truth, Dilsen wanted to find Marsin and surprise her.

The computer said she was in Engineering. He headed there.

As he moved through the ship, he became increasingly nervous. Was she seeing someone new? He didn't even know if she still wanted anything to do with him after that nasty business with Adreal.

God, he missed her. He wanted nothing more than to feel her arms around him, to taste her skin, to smell the scent of her hair, and to hear her voice.

Then he froze, nearly colliding with another officer.

She was here, working at one of the stations, and she was just as beautiful as ever.

'Sharee?' he called mentally, joyfully.

Marsin's head snapped up and she looked around, confused. She couldn't be sure, but she could have sworn she'd just heard Dilsen's mental voice, calling her.

But that wasn't possible. Unless…

Then she saw him.

When she saw him, looking at her with need and want, she didn't think, she just reacted. She gave an an excited shriek, ran the short distance between them, and jumped in to his waiting arms, laughing. He lifted her off her feet, swinging her around, laughing too.

'Jon,' she cried happily, almost not believing he was really there.

There was so much longing in her telepathic touch, he could feel it pouring through their connection, even as he could see it in her eyes.

'Stars, how I've missed you,' he whispered, refusing to let her go. He leaned his head against hers, just like they used to.

'So have I,' Marsin replied. 'What are you doing here? What about Adreal? What about your marriage to her?'

'I'll explain everything if you'll have dinner with me,' he coaxed.

'My shift isn't finished yet.'

'Then join me when you're done.' When there was no reply, only a sense of hesitation, he added a coaxing, 'Please.'

'I finish at sixteen hundred. Give me about fifteen minutes after that.'

'I can do that. No uniform.'

'Not planning on it.'

'Good.'

'I have to go. I need to finish my duties but I'll talk to Commander LaForge, get his permission to come aboard the base.'

'Understood. I'll see you soon.' And, after giving her one more rib-crushing hug, he left.

"Ensign Marsin," said LaForge.

"Yes, sir?" Marsin asked, unable to wipe the look of joy off her face just yet.

"Who was that?" He was rubbing his head from where he'd cracked it against the lip of the Jefferies tube he'd been exiting. Marsin's shriek had startled him and he'd been ready to raise hell when something else had caught his ears; the sound of laughter.

He'd gone in to Engineering and was sure his VISOR was dinged up somehow; Marsin was actually laughing and smiling and it had to do with the dark-haired commander who was also laughing and hugging her tightly. Then he leaned his head against hers in a gesture that seemed almost intimate. There were no words spoken but LaForge remembered Marsin was part Betazoid and it was possible this guy was too. That could only mean they had been talking telepathically.

"That was Commander Dilsen, an instructor I knew at the Academy. He taught a course I took during my first year and we became good friends during my second year."

"Very good friends, from the looks of it."

"Oh yes, indeed," Marsin said, a smile on her face. It was the warmest, brightest smile LaForge could ever recall seeing on the ensign's face. She looked genuinely happy. Then she turned that smile on him. "By the way, Chief, may I please transport to the starbase when my shift is over? I've never been to a starbase before and would really like the opportunity to check it out."

"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Commander Dilsen being there, would it?" She gave him a wide-eyed look of innocence and he found himself chuckling. "Alright, you can go, just not when you're on duty, ok? There's one catch involved, though."

"Whazat?"

"I want to see more of that smile of yours more often."

And the smile she gave him would have made him forgive her for anything.

1610:  
"Ensign Marsin," Commander Riker said in greeting, holding the turbolift door open.

"Commander," she replied politely, giving him a friendly smile as she entered the turbolift, bringing a sweet scent of exotic flowers with her. "Deck Six," she told the computer.

"You look nice. Going somewhere?" And indeed the junior officer did look nice. She was wearing a dark blue fitted and flared sleeveless dress with a hemline that fell to just above her knees and had a deep neckline that showed off a nice bit of skin. The heavy fabric shimmered as she moved, giving off tantalizing hints of her slender shape. She wore matching sling-back high heels that drew attention to her shapely legs and her hair was loose around her face, aside from two black combs at the sides of her head. A silver-colored eight-pointed star hung on a thin chain around her neck. Four of the points were smaller than the other four, and a blue stone with a naturally-occurring star was in the middle of the star.

"Thank you, sir. I have a date with a friend on the starbase. Commander LaForge gave me permission to transport to the starbase."

"Must be somebody pretty special," he said.

"Very," she replied, not giving him the answer he was looking for, darn her. They arrived at Deck Six, she said, "By your leave, sir," and left the turbolift, leaving Riker to continue on to the Bridge in amused silence.

Five minutes later Marsin was pressing the door chime to the quarters listed as belonging to Dilsen. A second later, the doors hissed open and the wonderful smell of something good reached her nose.

She entered the quarters shyly and felt her heart jump when she saw him, looking as handsome as ever. Like her, he wasn't in uniform. Instead, he was wearing dark slacks and an open collar shirt that brought out his eyes.

He came over to her, his eyes devouring her hungrily. They lit up when he saw the star around her neck.

"Hi," he said huskily. He needed to touch her.

"Hi yourself." She was burning up.

"Sharee…" he whispered hoarsely, running his hands up her arms and leaning his forehead against hers.

She didn't reply; she just pulled his head down and kissed him.

They only just made it to his bedroom, especially when he discovered she wasn't wearing a bra under her dress.

Time was forgotten as their hunger exploded. It demanded to be fed and they were quite happy to do so. The food on the table was forgotten and so were their clothes. They had from sixteen hundred to oh-eight hundred hours, when Marsin was due back on duty, and neither of them wanted to waste a moment of that time.

Later, much later:  
"After you left to join the Enterprise, I spent the next two weeks trying to work things out with Adreal," Dilsen said. "It was a waste of time. She wasn't there because she wanted to work on our marriage, she was there so she could play with some new toys, namely other Starfleet officers. She tried to find out who you were, to the point of threatening your career and that was when I'd decided I'd had enough. I requested a transfer to any starbase that had an opening for someone like me and told Adreal to get the hell out. I also warned her that if she started poking her nose where it didn't belong, I'd divorce her and leave her with absolutely nothing. Fortunately, Admiral Wilkins took pity on me and sent me here." He sighed heavily, tucking one arm behind his head as they lounged on his bed, with only a sheet covering them. "I can't keep playing her game."

"Why should you? I know there's this family honor and all that, but you do have the right to be happy," she said, propping herself up on one elbow and looking at him.

"Right now I am," he said, smiling at her.

"That's good to know."

"I don't want to lose contact with you again," he said, reaching up to play with her hair. "The Enterprise will be here for about another twenty-four hours then you'll be heading somewhere else."

"I could always write," she offered.

"I'd like that," he replied.

"But there's a catch involved," she said teasingly.

"What's that?"

She propped herself up over him and said, "You have to write back."

"That, sweetheart, is a guarantee," he replied, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly.

0750:  
As Marsin walked by, headed for Engineering, Troi could have sworn she saw a smile on the younger woman's face.

"Ensign," she said.

"Counselor," was the polite reply.

"How are you today?"

"Just fine, thank you."

"You're looking pleased about something."

"Let's just say that certain areas of my personal life have suddenly improved," was the evasive reply.

"That's good to know." Troi had given up on getting Marsin to talk to her outside of her duties. Guinan had spoken to Troi after her session with Marsin and explained that the young empath was simply someone who had loved deeply, been hurt badly, and trusted little as a matter of survival. It didn't impact her work but it did make it difficult for people to get close to her, unless they did it on her terms.

"If that's all, Counselor, I need to report to duty."

"Of course. Have a good shift, Ensign."

"Likewise, Counselor." And Masin continued on, looking the happiest Troi had seen her in days.

She saw the ensign a few hours later, after Alpha shift had ended, heading, practically running, towards a transporter room.

Troi nearly did a double-take when she saw her because she wasn't in uniform. Rather, she was wearing a long sleeved light purple wrap-around dress, with a short skirt, that was designed to be taken off just as easily as it was put on. Her hair was up in an elegant twist but Troi had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn't be up for much longer.

She was broadcasting happiness, Troi realized. Whatever was going on, whoever Marsin was going to see, she was very happy about and very eager to see. Troi wondered if it had anything to do with the Commander Dilsen LaForge had admitted to seeing in Engineering the other day. A quick record check had confirmed his suspicions; Dilsen was a Betazoid and he had been Marsin's instructor at the Academy for at least two courses during her time there.

"Hmm," she wondered. Was it possible this Dilsen was the reason Marsin had treated the other males on the ship with serious disinterest? She didn't know, but it would be interesting to see what happened when they left Starbase 62 in a short time.


	12. Chapter 12

When Marsin had come in the door and Dilsen saw her choice of dress, all thoughts of food and drink went right out of his head and all he could think about was having her. He had her pressed against a wall before he even fully realized what he was doing. When he felt her legs around his waist and her heat against his groin, that was when he nearly lost it. But then, somehow, he remembered it might be a while before they saw each other again, so rather than fast and short, he decided he was going to make it slow and long, as long and slow as possible.

He trailed feather kisses along her neck, making her shiver.

"Jon," she whimpered.

"We have time," he whispered back.

"Okay."

He managed to get her in to his bedroom and on the bed. Then he found the bottle of edible massage oil that heated up when blown on, and began to use it on her skin. As he worked, he slowly got them out of their clothes but left their underwear on.

He encouraged her to use the oil to touch him the same way he was touching her.

"This feels good," she admitted.

"Good." He gave a strangled groan when the little minx replaced her hands with her mouth.

Only when he was sure neither of them could take any more did he finally take her, sinking in to her softness.

She moved and he groaned. She froze.

"My love, I am this close to exploding and I really don't want to just yet," he said hoarsely.

"Okay."

It was the longest, slowest loving Marsin had ever known with Dilsen, and by the time they finally collapsed, all she wanted to do was sleep.

But then she realized something; neither of them had been particularly careful about the little matter of birth control.

Hesitantly, she mentioned it to Dilsen, who only smiled.

"I know. I'm going to divorce Adreal," Dilsen said. "I've had enough. She didn't want children. I want children and I want them with you."

"Oh," was all Marsin could think of to say. She swallowed. "Well, uh, once we've had a chance to catch our breath, what do you say we go at it again, just to, well, umm, increase our chances?"

He grinned at her. "I like the way you think, woman."

Six weeks later:

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Someone grab her!" LaForge yelled, trying to get to Ensign Marsin before she fell off the ladder.

It was Data who caught Marsin, who looked a bit shocked.

"Are you all right, Ensign?" Data asked.

"I'm not sure, sir. All of a sudden I got very light-headed," she admitted, keeping an arm around Data's neck.

"You're looking pretty pale there, Marsin," LaForge said. "How are you feeling?" He watched as Data sat the half-Betazoid down in a chair.

"Sleepy, very hungry, and I almost threw up when I woke up this morning," she admitted. Suddenly, she gave a jaw-cracking yawn and looked embarrassed.

Data got the medikit and quickly ran a scan over her. "Scans indicate your blood pressure is low and several hormones are elevated. Curious." Then he scanned a little lower. An image came on the screen and, after fine-tuning the image, he said, "Ah, I see what that problem is."

"What's the problem, Data?" LaForge asked.

"Ensign Marsin is carrying a six-week old fetus." He looked at Marsin and said, "I believe the appropriate thing to say is 'Congratulations. You are with child.'"

Data had seen humans do many things upon hearing news that affected their lives. Some started crying, others stared with wide eyes or became excited, or even sat down rather abruptly. Data had to admit it was the first time he'd seen a female faint over the news, but that was exactly what Marsin did.

Data carefully laid the unconscious ensign on the floor while LaForge called for someone from Sick Bay for assistance. Fortunately, it was a mild faint and Marsin was reviving even before Dr. Crusher showed up.

"Geordi, why did Ensign Marsin faint when I told her she is pregnant?" Data asked, as Crusher escorted Marsin to Sick Bay for a full prenatal examination.

LaForge smiled at his friend. "Emotional shock. I don't think she was expecting it. When my sister's husband found out they were going to have their first baby, he fainted. For a lot of people, having a baby is a pretty big deal."

"I see. Should Marsin inform the baby's father?"

"She probably will, when she has a chance," LaForge said. 'And I have a sneaking suspicion I know who that is.'

When Marsin finally got back to her quarters, she felt like she was walking on air.

There were two messages waiting for her. The first one was from Dilsen.

"Hi sweetheart; I have some good news for both of us. My divorce to Adreal finally came through. She agreed to my terms, which was to leave you alone and not ask for any thing. Seems there's a new Mr. Moneybags in town and he's recently widowed and looking for a wife. I told Adreal that she either agree to my terms or I would drag her name through so much mud, the guy would NEVER go near her." He grinned. "The lawyers say that was the fastest, cleanest divorce on record."

The next message was from an old friend of Marsin's family, particularly her mother.

"I've been keeping an eye on David and his movements. Thanks to a mutual acquaintance of ours, I'm aware of your posting on the Enterprise, to which I extend my congratulations at securing such a prestige posting. However, I fear you may wish to speak to your captain. It seems that David has become a civilian contractor, working as an assistant to another contractor, who is involved in over-seeing the necessary upgrades in the the family sector of the Galaxy-class starships. The Enterprise is their next stop in less than two days, and David will be with them." The man sighed and said, "I am aware that the Enterprise is a big ship, and that David does not know the name you've taken, but unless he's locked out of the ship crew manifest, I fear he will find you."

Marsin ran to Ten Forward.

"Guinan!" she said desperately, seeing the bartender.

"Sharee, my goodness. What's wrong?"

In a hushed voice, Marsin repeated the abbreviated version of what the message had said. Guinan scowled.

"You will have to tell the captain," she said. "As an officer, you do have the right to ask that a civilian not have any contact with you on the ship."

"But what would Picard say? I mean, this whole thing is nuts! I don't even have any evidence, just memories of the abuse. Why the hell would he even believe me?"

"If there's one person I know well, that's Jean-Luc Picard," Guinan said. "He will listen to you. You just have to trust him the way you trusted me."

Marsin bit her lip. "There's more than just my life on the line now," she admitted, putting protective hands over where her unborn child grew.

Guinan put her hands on the young woman's shoulders and said firmly, "All the more reason to trust Picard. He'll keep you and your baby safe. Trust him."

Marsin nodded. Tapping her combadge, she said, "Ensign Marsin to Captain Picard."

"Picard here. Go ahead, Ensign."

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time to speak privately with you?"

"Of course, Ensign. I'll be in my Ready Room."

"Thank you, sir. Marsin out."

Biting her lip once more, and rubbing the compass pendant that was under her uniform for a bit of good luck, she squared her shoulders and went to see him.

Picard was enjoying a brief respite from his daily duties in his Ready Room with a cup of tea when the door chimed.

"Come."

It was Ensign Marsin.

"I apologize for bothering you, sir, and I thank you for seeing me," she said.

"Of course, Ensign. Please, sit. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"From what I understand, in about two days we are picking up a group of civilian contractors who are involved in upgrades in the family sector of the Enterprise?" she asked, sitting down and choosing her words carefully.

"I'm not sure how you acquired that information, but yes, we are. Is there a problem?"

"There has a very strong potential to be a problem," Marsin said. "Based on what a contact has told me, a man by the name of David Radcliffe, is part of that crew."

"Okay."

"He's my father and I don't want anything to do with him. In fact, I don't even want him to know I'm here."

"I see. May I ask the reason for this?"

"I spent twenty years of my life watching that bastard beat my mother with his fists. Then, nearly six years ago, she died in a supposed shuttlecraft accident that blew out the living room windows of the apartment they were living in at the time."

"But you don't think it was an accident," Picard guessed.

Marsin shook her head, surprised at finding how easy it was to talk to him. "Mom was a Betazoid, Captain, the one I inherited my empathic abilities from. Even when I was a child and my abilities hadn't developed yet, she was in my mind. We had a very close bond, the kind a mother has with her child."

"Understandable, given the situation."

"I was in my second year of college when she decided it was time to divorce Father. He beat her to death rather than let her leave him." She looked away, memories surfacing. "I was on my way to class when I suddenly hit the floor in a lot of pain. I heard her screaming, begging, pleading for him to stop. He told her she would leave him over his dead body." She took a deep breath and continued. "Then she told me to run, because if he found me, he'd kill me."

"Do you know why?"

"It turns out that Mom had a will that wasn't very favorable to him. He was expecting to get a chunk of land in the Southern Hemisphere that, from what I understand, is prime crop land for Tunisian wine grapes, and on Betazed, that is worth big money. She also had a good chunk of money tucked away."

"He didn't get it, and I'm presuming you did."

"I did indeed. Mom had a nasty little clause in her will. If she died AFTER my twenty-fifth birthday, he would get a small percentage of the money, like about point five percent. For every year that she was alive after that, the percentage would double, eventually up to fifty percent. She died just before my twenty-second birthday."

"And he got nothing."

"Exactly. Which means the next person in his way is me, especially if he can force me to will everything to him."

"Am I correct in assuming you've taken steps to prevent that?"

"Yes, you are. If I die other than a natural death, Commander Jon Dilsen gets everything. If he dies before I do, everything goes to a charitable organization on Betazed, one dedicated to helping victims of abuse."

"A wise precaution."

"Thank you." She sighed tiredly. "I spent nearly a month waking up to her screams in my sleep. It wasn't until I saw a Vulcan healer who put a filter on the memories that I was able to sleep. A friend of a friend of my mom got me in to the Academy under my mom's maiden name and I've been hiding that way ever since."

"I see." He leaned back in his chair. "So you believe your father may attempt to harm you, or at the very least kill you, were he to learn of your location here?"

"Yes sir."

He nodded. "Very well. I'll have his access to the crew records and locations restricted and have Lieutenant Worf monitor his movements until he leaves."

"Thank you, sir. I'll do my best to try and stay out of his sight, myself."

"Very good, Ensign. I appreciate the courage it must have taken you, in light of your history."

She smiled at him. "If it had been just me, I would have just run, the way I did before. But I don't have that option any more. I have a child to protect and I am not going to let a monster like Father get the chance to hurt either of us."

Picard nodded. Marsin's records stated that she didn't have any children, so that must mean she was expecting. "In that case, Ensign, I extend my congratulations."

"Thank you, sir, and I appreciate your help in dealing with my father."

Picard nodded and watched as Marsin took her leave. Then he called Riker and Worf in to appraise them of the situation.


	13. Chapter 13

Worf grunted as he caught an elbow to the ribs, courtesy of Ensign Marsin. They were in the gym, going over some self-defense tactics that would give her a fighting chance, should David Radcliffe attempt to attack her. He currently had his arms around her from behind and had lifted her off her feet.

He grunted again when her boot heels found his knee, and he let go of her slightly. She used the advantage to slither down slightly, reach behind her, and grab him THERE.

Worf considered himself a capable warrior, and could hold his own with a bat'leth and mek'leth, but Marsin was giving him serious trouble.

When they had started the session, Worf had given Marsin specific instructions not to hold back, that he could handle himself. He supposed he should have warned Dr. Crusher about that.

Marsin had been true to his request by grabbing him in the one place the majority of male humanoids hated to be grabbed.

He howled and let go of her, but she didn't let go of him. Instead, she grabbed his wrist, went under and twisted his arm, which made him bend over. Then she delivered a nasty knee kick to his ribs and he swore some of his ribs cracked. But she didn't let go of him then. Instead, she shifted slightly and introduced her knee to his face. Then she let go and moved out of his reach before he could grab her.

He huffed, trying to breath. "Good. You are not afraid to fight ugly."

"It's my baby's life on the line; you're darn right I'm going to get ugly, sir," Marsin said.

"Fair enough," he said. He straightened up. "Again."

An hour later, he was in Sick Bay, being examined by Dr. Crusher, who was scowling. On another bed, Marsin was being examined by Nurse Ogawa, who was also checking her unborn baby.

"What in God's name did you do, Worf?" Crusher demanded.

"That's what I'd like to know," said Commander Riker, joining them. He'd gotten word about the training session and had come to check on them.

"Three fractured ribs, a fractured jaw, fractured foot, bruised kneecap, sprained wrists, assortment of bruises, and even a possible concussion!" Crusher rattled off. "Had you been a human male and not in the shape I know you to be in, you wouldn't have walked in here, you would have been carried in here!"

"Good. Then Ensign Marsin will stand a chance against David Radcliffe," Worf said.

Riker looked at Marsin, who just shrugged. "He did say not to hold back, so I didn't."

"I can see that," Riker said. "How is she?" he asked Ogawa.

"Aside from some bruises, she got off light," the nurse replied. "And your baby is fine," she said to Marsin, who smiled.

"Can you tell if it's a boy or girl yet?" she asked.

"Not unless we run a genetic test, no. The genitals won't develop until it's at least fourteen to sixteen weeks along."

"That reminds me, Ensign; I have a question for you," Crusher said, sweeping a medical device over Worf's fractured jaw.

"Go ahead."

"You said your father was human?"

"Yes, as far as I know."

"Have you considered the possibility that that might not be the case?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I ran a genetics examination test on your DNA, it showed that you're three quarters Betazoid, not half. Only a quarters of your DNA is human."

"What? Does that mean my father is half Betazoid?" Marsin asked, confused.

Crusher came over to her and said gently, "I ran a comparison of Daniel Radcliffe's DNA to yours. There's no parental match. At first glance, there is some similarity, but only to those who aren't looking too closely."

"And you looked closely," Marsin said.

"Because I know how to."

"Then, if Daniel Radcliffe isn't my father, who is?"

"Judging by your physical appearance and empathic abilities, someone with dark hair and who is at least half Betazoid."

"What about my baby? Will this affect her abilities?"

"It depends who the father is."

"Full Betazoid."

"Then the baby will be more than three quarters but not quite full," Crusher said.

"Is there a way to find out who is my biological father?"

"There is, but not everyone has their DNA on record, so it would take time."

"Do you remember your mother mentioning anyone? Maybe someone special?" Riker suggested.

An old memory, long forgotten, came to the surface.

"I remember a picture I found in a box she had. I asked her about it once, and she said he was just an old friend." Marsin furrowed her brow, trying to remember. "I can't quite recall his face, but I do remember he was wearing an admiral's uniform because it was a red uniform with a gold braid across the top. I also remember he had kind eyes." She rubbed her eyes. "I don't remember the rank on his uniform though."

"Did you ever find the picture again?" Riker asked.

"Oddly enough, no. After she died, I discovered a bunch of her stuff was missing and Father claimed she had taken the box with her in the shuttlecraft."

"And when it exploded, there was nothing left," Riker guessed.

"You got it."

"Well, it's a place to start," Crusher said. "I'll have the computer start comparing your DNA to Starfleet Admirals alive around the time of your birth and as far back as your gestation period. It might take some time though."

"That's fine. Am I free to go?"

"Yes, you are," Crusher said, after glancing at Ogawa, who nodded.

"Data said he might have something for you, so make sure you see him," Riker said.

"Yes, sir." And Marsin hopped off the bed, quickly leaving Sick Bay.

"She's badly shaken up," Ogawa said sympathetically.

"But a most formidable fighter," Worf grunted.

Data was in his quarters and he had a plan and some information for Marsin.

"When Daniel Radcliffe comes aboard the Enterprise, you will have a transporter lock on your biosignature at all times, until we are certain he is no longer on the Enterprise. The same will apply to him."

"Won't that take time to activate?" she asked, petting Spot, who had jumped up on Data's desk and begun demanding attention, something she was quite happy to give.

"No; I have set up a program that will be activated upon entering a specific command code."

"So all I have to do is yell at you and you'll transport me where?"

"To my location."

"And Daniel?"

"He will be automatically transported to the brig."

"Okay."

"I also have some information regarding your mother."

"Okay."

"I was able to locate a security camera in the area of the shuttle craft that was not damaged by the explosion, nor tampered, as I suspect the others were."

"And?"

"Upon examination of the records I was able to determine that sixteen minutes and twenty three seconds before the explosion, your father was seen hauling a large cargo container through the building. The container's dimensions were that of a container big enough to hold a person the size of your mother."

"Son of a bitch," Marsin breathed.

Data continued. "He did not return with the container but was seen approximately seven minutes later with several pieces of luggage I can only deduce to be some of your mother's personal effects. His return trip showed him to be empty-handed."

"That would explain the missing personal effects."

"Indeed. I have contacted the authorities on Betazed and they have agreed to take a closer look at the apartment."

"Could you tell them to check the carpet by the main windows, in the living room?"

"Is that where you believed she died?" Data asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Then I will pass the information along to the authorities," Data said.

She was silent for a moment then said, "How fast can you do an elimination record search if I give you the information?"

"It can be done very quickly," Data said. "What do you require?"

"Male Starfleet officers with the rank of Admiral, or at least able to wear the Admiral uniform."

"Do you have a time frame?" Data asked, pulling up the records.

"Between 2344 and 2345. Half Betazoid. Possibly stationed on Betazed, or at least there for a while. Dark hair."

Data's fingers were flying over his keyboard as images flew past faster than Marsin could comprehend. Three faces appeared on the screen.

"With the information you have provided, there are three possibilities. Vice Admiral Tobias Brant, Rear Admiral Kevel Kedel, and One Star Admiral Donovan Partinist."

"Is there any pictures of Admiral Partinist smiling?" Marsin asked, leaning closer.

"Computer, search for any pictures of Admiral Partinist smiling," Data instructed the computer.

A moment later the computer chirped and a series of pictures popped up.

"That's the guy I'm looking for," Marsin said, studying the pictures. "Where is he now?"

"Starfleet records indicate he was killed in action during a skirmish with the Talarians on stardate 24110.10," Data said.

"Damnit," Marsin muttered.

"May I inquire as to the reason for this request?" Data asked.

"Dr. Crusher ran a few prenatal-genetic tests on me and it turns out Daniel Radcliffe is not my father and I am, in fact, three quarters Betazoid."

"I see. And you believe Admiral Partinist to be your biological father?"

"If the DNA match confirms it, then yeah, I do. Dr. Crusher said she would help by going through the files, looking for a DNA match with anyone in Starfleet, based on the fact that my mother had a picture of a man in an admiral's uniform, and she wouldn't tell me who he was, except to say he was an old friend."

"Understood. I will send Dr. Crusher the file and recommend that she compare his DNA."

"Thanks."

"Are you all right, Ensign?" Data asked, watching as she rubbed her eyes tiredly before crossing her arms and propping her chin on one palm.

"Just feeling very mixed up and wishing a very special friend of mine was here." She shrugged. "Oh well. Can't always get what we want, can we?" She gave the android a smile and said, "Thank you for your help, Commander."

"You are welcome, Ensign," Data replied.

And Marsin left, leaving Data to study Admiral Partinist's file. Perhaps, just perhaps, there might be something he could do to help Marsin further.


	14. Chapter 14

Dr. Crusher had the results; One Star Admiral Donovan Partinist was Ensign Sharee Marsin's biological father, not Daniel Radcliffe.

Data had an interesting note for Marsin; Partinist had a mother whose name was Sharee, and his second name was Medel. It was also Marsin's middle name. Her mother had given Sharee names that were part of Partinist's family, which meant the affair had been pretty serious.

Partinist was also survived by his parents and a sister, Tonya, who had a husband and children of her own. What Data didn't tell Marsin was that he was reaching out to the woman, to ask for any details of the affair.

Marsin found herself wishing there was someone who knew more about Partinist on a personal level, someone who might tell her what he was like. She didn't even know if she had a high enough clearance to access his personal logs.

She mentioned it to Guinan, who provided her with some advice.

"Go see the captain. He was in command of the Stargazer during the Talarian skirmishes and may have encountered him."

A computer search located him in his quarters and that was where Marsin went.

"Come!" Picard called in response to the door chime.

It was Ensign Marsin and she had an almost earnest look on her face.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but I was hoping I could ask you a question about someone Guinan says you might have known," she said earnestly.

"Hmm, well, it depends on whom and when," he said, leaning back in his chair at his desk.

"One Star Admiral Donovan Partinist," she said. "He died during the Talarian skirmishes but was posted on Betazed for a while."

Picard pulled up the admiral's records and nodded when he saw the file photo. "Yes, I remember him. Is there a reason for your interest in him?"

"According to Dr. Crusher, he's my biological father, not Daniel Radcliffe," Marsin admitted. "Commander Data even noticed that my first name is the same as his mother's, and my middle name was his middle name."

"Hmm."

"I don't have a high enough clearance level to access his personal logs, and I just want to know who he was. His official files only tell me so much."

Picard got up and went to the replicator, searching his memory.

"Tea, Earl Grey, hot," he told the computer. The tea appeared in the slot and he looked at Marsin, silently enquiring if she'd like something.

"Tea, Lemon Zinger with a teaspoon of clover honey, hot," she said.

Picard repeated the request and the tea appeared. He handed her the tea and lead the way to his couch and chairs.

He could understand Marsin wanting to know more about her biological father, especially in light of Daniel Radcliffe and his abusive behavior. She was right, too, in that she would not be able to have access to Partinist's personal logs; she didn't have a high enough clearance for that. If Crusher said Partinist was Marsin's biological father, then he believed her.

"I only met Admiral Partinist a few times, mostly at social gatherings and once on Betazed," Picard said once they were seated. "The few times I did, he was always friendly towards me, always having a kind or encouraging word to say. I think he understood what it was like to obtain a command rank at such a young age. I was twenty-eight when I was given command of the Stargazer, having gone from being a Lieutenant Commander to a Captain practically over-night, and a lot of the older captains and admirals did not care for that. Admiral Partinist was one of the few who showed me any kindness and respect in that regards. He, himself, was a One Star Admiral at thirty-five." Sipping his tea, he thought for a moment, then said, "The one thing I remember the most about him was his laugh. He didn't laugh often, but when he did, it always sounded like came from the bottom of his shoes. It was a deep, rich laugh, and the kind you wished you could hear more often. The impression I got from him though, on more than one occasion, was that of a lonely man; a good man, but a lonely one."

"Did you see him before he died?"

"Yes, I did. He seemed happy about something, but he never said what." He sighed. "Unfortunately, because I was not in regular contact with him, I'm afraid I don't know who might have known him better."

"I understand, sir."

A thought came to Picard as he studied Marsin, quietly finishing her tea. As Partinist's biological child, she did have the right to see the personal logs of her father. He would contact Starfleet Command and see about getting Marsin special privilege rights to those logs.

Then Marsin's combadge went off. "Todd to Marsin," a male voice said.

"Marsin here. Go ahead."

"Could you please grab your medikit and come down to Holodeck Two?" There was a patient, resigned tone to the male's voice, as if the reason for the call was really stupid.

"What happened on Holodeck Two that couldn't be taken care of in Sick Bay?" Marsin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You remember Ensign Jack Willington?"

"I do. Not always with fond memories, but I do remember him."

"He went tree jumping again."

"Okay."

"He was doing great, until he missed. He caught the other tree... and every branch on the way down. He also sat on a few in the process."

"How high?"

"About forty, maybe forty-five feet. Put it this way; he was supposed to have a date tonight. Not anymore, he don't!"

Marsin sighed and closed her eyes tiredly. "All right. Give me a few minutes and I'll be there. In the mean time, tell Willington to ask the computer for an ice pack, with a temperature between minus five and ten degrees Celcius and apply it to the groin area to help with the bruising that I have no doubt is occurring. Marsin out."

As Picard watchedy, Marsin crossed her arms and dropped her head in her hand. Then her shoulders started to shake. And she started laughing.

And Picard was struck by how familiar it sounded. Marsin had her father's laugh. That settled it for him; he would see to it that Marsin got access to Partinist's personal logs and anything he could find.


	15. Chapter 15

Daniel Radcliffe was on the Enterprise and he was on a mission. Marsin was staying well away from him but he was broadcasting so loud even Counselor Troi could feel it.

The only problem anyone could see was that the civilian contractor, Gerald Smith, and his crew would need access to Engineering in order to complete the repairs, which were estimated to take about four or five days.

In order to minimize the chances of being spotted, Marsin would have to restrict her movements around the ship as much as possible. So, while she was on duty, LaForge would pair her up with someone and send her everywhere on the ship but where Radcliffe was, in an attempt to keep her out of his sight.

The other problem was, as much as Riker, LaForge, and Worf dearly wanted to beat Radcliffe, they couldn't let on they knew what Marsin knew, or Radcliffe would know.

And so it began.

For three days, everything was fine. During her shifts, Marsin found herself crawling around the inside of the Enterprise in places she never thought possible. One time she even found herself on the Bridge, helping LaForge repair a conduit that wasn't burnt out yet but was showing signs of failing and LaForge had wanted to get to it before it got to them.

On the fourth day, trouble arose, even though Marsin didn't realize it.

Radcliffe was in Engineering, installing a programming upgrade. The upgrade was easy enough to do, but it let him poke around the ship, like he'd been doing on every other lousy ship lately, since he got that tip that his daughter, Sharee, might be on one of them as a Starfleet officer. But he hadn't been able to find her and so far anyone matching her description had turned up possibilities but no real leads. He didn't even know if she'd changed her name or not, which made the search that much harder.

Then, on the fourth day of his job on the so-called mighty Enterprise, his luck changed.

"Marsin!" someone yelled. "Grab your kit!"

Radcliffe's brows furrowed. Marsin? Wasn't that Mona's maiden name? Surely that couldn't be a coincidence, especially when a woman's voice yelled back that she was on her way.

Curious, he stuck his head around the corner and watched as a brunette female in a gold and black uniform headed towards the warp core, her back to him. He cautiously followed her and saw her go to another engineer who had a nasty burn on one hand. She set the kit she was carrying on a console and began to repair the damage. Then she turned sideways and Radcliffe saw her.

There was no mistaking her. Even after five years he could still recognize that little bitch he called his daughter. So intent on tending to her patient that she didn't even look around or she would have spotted him.

He quickly left the area, his mind working furiously. As soon as he could, he would check the ship's crew records to find out exactly where his daughter was staying. And then, well, that depended on how well she cooperated with him.

He ran in to a problem. When he tried to check the records, the computer declared that the crew records were of restricted access and his access was denied.

"Little bitch must've been blabbing again," he muttered to himself. That could explain why Riker, that scumbag alien Worf, and that blind engineer were treating him with contempt; Marsin had done a little singing to them about the beatings he'd given Mona.

He would get her, one way or another, and force her to sign over the land and money to him, or he would beat it out of her. He had no problems with that.

The trick would be to get her alone. The simplest method would probably to grab some small, weak person and force them to call Marsin to their location. She had been carrying a medikit so she was probably a part-time nurse despite her gold Operations uniform. He really didn't like the idea of using someone, as it meant one more person who could talk, but if necessary, he could always kill that person and make them vanish, which wasn't hard to do if you knew what you were doing. He'd gotten rid of a few pesky lovers that way.

His luck improved again the next morning. He was on his way to Engineering when he spotted a young female Operations heading for what he remembered was an Engineering Substation.

It was perfect.

He followed the ensign in and, before she had a chance to react, he had one hand tightly on her throat, preventing her from making any noise other than a strangled gasp. There was a heavy tool nearby and he grabbed it.

"Hello, pretty girl," he said softly in her ear. "I have nothing against you, but you are going to do something for me or I will kill you right here, right now. Do you understand me?"

The frightened ensign nodded, whimpering.

"Good. I want you to call Marsin here. She's an engineer, like you, and I want her here."

"Why?" the girl gurgled out.

He tightened his grip, hurting her even more, and she whimpered. "It doesn't matter, sweetheart. Just do it. Oh, and if you try and warn her, you're dead. Call her." He tightened his grip even more. "Now," he hissed.

She nodded as best as she could and he let her throat go enough for her to make the call.

"Cotas to Marsin, I'm in Engineering Substation 4-E, could you come and help me for a moment please?"

"I'll be right there," was the reply, before she signed off.

"Good girl," Radcliffe said. "Now, go to sleep, you little slut." And he hit the back of her head as hard as he could. She went down without a sound.

Marsin frowned as she ended the call. There had been something in Costa's voice that had sent her empathic abilities in to over-drive.

Since learning she was a lot stronger than initially thought, Marsin had taken a few lessons fro Counselor Troi in an effort to hone her abilities, lessons she never really got most of her life, save some shielding lessons from Dilsen while she was at the Academy.

She entered the room and the first thing she saw was someone on the floor, blood pooling around her head. She instinctively went to help the female, and only just missed being hit by a heavy tool when her senses suddenly screamed at her.

Twisting sideways, the blow caught the back of her shoulder instead of her head, and she cried out in pain, nearly dropping her to her knees. He tried to take a swing at her again but she was already moving, staggering out of his reach.

"Marsin to Data, help!" Marsin yelled.

"Acknowledged, Ensign," came the cool reply.

And she began to dematerialize.

She was being transported away from him, Radcliffe realized.

"No!" he yelled, tossing his weapon away, his hands reaching for her exposed throat. He only just reached her before he suddenly found himself being transported.

On the Bridge, Data had activated the transporter program the second he'd gotten Marsin's call, but now the computer was saying that both Marsin and Radcliffe were so close together, the transport couldn't separate them. Data called the captain over and explained the problem.

"Transport them both to the Bridge," Picard said. "Mr. Worf, get a security team up here."

"Yes, sir," Worf said, while Data's fingers did their magic.

Within seconds, both Marsin and Radcliffe were appearing on the Bridge. Right away, every one could see the problem. Radcliffe had his hands reaching for Marsin's neck, and she had grabbed his hand with one hand, the other arm hanging limply at her side.

As the transport completed, Marsin twisted sideways and kicked out, catching him in the knee and then the stomach. He grunted, doubling over, and she let go long enough to land a frantic punch that sent him tumbling to the floor, before quickly moving out of his reach to go stand between Data and Riker. "Marsin to Sick Bay, send a medical team to Engineering Substation 4-E to attend to Ensign Cotas right away please. Be prepared for cranial and possible brain or spinal injuries."

"Acknowledged. Crusher out," came Crusher's reply.

"Picard to Crusher; keep me posted on Ensign Cotas please," Picard said.

"Acknowledged, Catain. Crusher out."

"Now, what is the meaning of this, Mr. Radcliffe?" Picard demanded to the groaning man as he stood up.

"You tell me; you're the one that yanked me here," Radcliffe snapped, getting to his feet. He glared at the security officers as they arrived, phasers aimed at him.

"Because of a special program that was activated upon Ensign Marsin's distress call," Data said. A chime went off and one of the officers quietly called him over. Normally, it would have waited, but as the communication was marked urgent, the officer decided to interrupt anyway.

"I was just trying to have a conversation with my daughter and she freaked out on me," Radcliffe said.

"Ensign Marsin is not your daughter, Mr. Radcliffe, Admiral Partinist is," Picard said.

"That's bull!" Radcliffe yelled. "I raised the little bitch and put up with her mother!"

"From the sounds of it, that isn't all you did," Riker said. Radcliffe glared at him.

"You may have raised her, but you certainly didn't instill love towards you in her, just fear," Picard said. "Ensign Marsin explicitly asked me to ensure that you were kept away from her in light of her mother's death. She made it quite plain she wanted nothing to do with you, as is her right, especially in light of her true parentage, and as her commanding officer, I intended to enforce that right."

"You can't keep me from her," Radcliffe snarled, hating Picard more and more. "That little cow owes me big time."

"You want my land and trust money?" Marsin asked. "You're not getting it. Even on my death, you won't, because I've had several instructions laid out that Captain Picard is very aware of." She looked at him, contempt in her eyes. "I haven't forgotten Mother's screams, or her pleas for mercy, or how you told her the only way she'd leave you was over your dead body, or hers, in that case."

"You can't prove it," Radcliffe snarled.

"She does not have to," Data said, rejoining them. "Captain, I just received a communique from Betazed. As per the results of their investigation, the head prosecuting attorney is requesting that we place Daniel Radcliffe under arrest for the murder of Mona Marsin Radcliffe."

"They have evidence?" Riker asked.

"Yes they do, and they are asking that he be sent back to Betazed to stand trial," Data said.

"Excellent," Picard said. "As for keeping you away from Ensign Marsin, Mr. Radcliffe, watch me. Mr. Worf?"

"Gladly, sir."

Radcliffe gave a furious yell and lunged at Picard. He didn't get very far when three phaser beams, all set on stun, lanced out. He was unconscious before he hit the deck.

As Worf and his team carted Radcliffe off the bridge to the brig, where he would remain for the duration of his stay, Riker looked at Marsin, who was cradling one arm, and was pale and starting to sweat.

"Ensign?" he asked gently.

"He got me real good. I can't feel my arm," she admitted, pain coursing through her.

"Data!" Riker barked, but the android was already moving. He and Riker guided Marsin to what was normally Troi's chair and sat her down. Then Data quickly examined her shoulder and arm.

"Your shoulder blade appears to be fractured," Data said.

"Is that why my arm hurts so much?" she groaned.

"Yes. It appears the injury has affected several nerves in your shoulder region, which will affect your arm nerves. I would recommend you go to Sick Bay immediately," Data said.

"Great idea," Marsin said. "If I can convince the stars to stop spinning long enough." She squeezed her eyes tightly and blinked a few times. She yelped when she suddenly found herself being picked up by Data. "Looks like I'm going in style," she quipped as Data carried her towards the turbolift.

"Crusher to Picard."

"Picard here, go ahead, Doctor."

"Ensign Cotas will be okay, but she is going to require major physical therapy for a while," Crusher reported.

"Understood. What happened to her?" Picard asked.

"She sustained a blow to the back of her head that resulted in a broken skull and cerebral hemorrhaging," Crusher said. "We found a heavy engineering tool nearby and suspect it to be the weapon."

"Understood. Commander Data is on his way with Ensign Marsin, and it is believed she may have a fractured shoulder blade."

"I'll be waiting," Crusher said. "Crusher out."


	16. Chapter 16

"Captain's log, supplemental. We will be arriving at Betazed on less than an hour and are preparing to transport Daniel Radcliffe to the surface to stand trial for the murder of his wife. He will also face prosecution from Starfleet Command for the assault on both Ensign Marsin and Ensign Cotas."

Counselor Troi had news, good news, thanks to Data. His reach out to Admiral Partinist's sister had been successful and the family had apparently reached out to Laxwanna Troi, Counselor Troi's mother, for verification about Data and his information. Laxwanna had reached out to her daughter, who had verified the information and even sent Marsin's photo and record to her. Laxwanna, who knew the Partinist family, was very exited, especially when she learned of the scandal following Daniel Radcliffe.

Then, having received the information from Laxwanna, the senior matriarch of the Partinist family, Sharee Partinist, contacted Troi, demanding more information about her son's only child. Troi told her what she knew, including her personality and her characteristics. She also told her that Picard had granted Marsin special access to Admiral Partinist's personal logs because Marsin had wanted to know more about her biological father.

Upon learning of Daniel Radcliffe's vicious assault and abuse, Troi was sure the elder Partinist was going to have a heart attack, or a stroke at the very least.

"Sharee wants to come aboard and meet Ensign Marsin," Troi explained to Picard in his Ready Room. "It seems that she had no idea her son had a child and had thought his blood line had died with him. The fact that he did indeed have a child, one who is alive and well, is apparently of great joy to them."

Picard nodded. "Very well. Perhaps, in light of all this murder business, a little happiness for Ensign Marsin is in order. If anyone deserves that, it's her." Troi nodded. "When she comes aboard, let me know."

"Yes, sir."

"Worf to Captain Picard," came the Klingon's baritone voice.

"Go ahead, Mr. Worf."

"We have received a request from a Commander Dilsen, asking to come aboard. He will be catching up to us when we arrive at Betazed."

"Commander Dilsen?" Picard repeated, confused. "Did he state the nature of his visit?"

"Yes, sir. He heard about Radcliffe and is very worried about Ensign Marsin. He doesn't yet know Radcliffe is under arrest for murder and assault."

"Understood. Very well, let the commander know he is welcome aboard and inform me when he is," Picard said.

"Aye, sir."

"Geordi did say he saw Marsin and Commander Dilsen being very affectionate with each other while we were docked at Starbase 62, and that was nearly two months ago," Troi said thoughtfully. "And now this visit."

"It does make one wonder, doesn't it?" Picard said.

Six hours later:

Sharee Partinist was a stately woman with silver hair and the same brown eyes as her granddaughter, Picard decided upon meeting the woman. She had a dignified air about her, as did her daughter, Tonya Kerit, and wore a patterned dress that looked more like a flowing robe with balloon sleeves. Tonya, on the other hand, wore a simple pantsuit that was fitting for a woman with several very active children and an equally active husband, from what Picard learned.

"Where is my granddaughter?" Sharee demanded. "And where is that foul excuse of a person who hurt her?"

"Ensign Marsin is currently on duty in Engineering. As for Mr. Radcliffe, he is currently in the brig and will be transported to Betazed authorities momentarily," Picard said.

"Good."

"Would you like us to call her?" Troi asked.

"No, we'll go to her," Sharee said. "It'll give us a chance to see your magnificent ship."

"Very well. Normally I would be quite happy to escort you but I'm afraid I must return to my duties," Picard said.

"We understand, Captain. Thank you for ensuring the safety of my granddaughter," Sharee said.

Picard nodded and left the transporter room.

In Engineering, Marsin was working on some simple diagnostic programs when she heard a whisper though her mind.

'My god, child, you look exactly like your father when he was your age,' the voice whispered.

Confused, Marsin looked up and around and spotted two unfamiliar women standing with Counselor Troi by the main diagnostic table. The older one had her fingers pressed to her lips and her eyes were shining brightly with tears. The younger one had one arm wrapped around the older woman, as if to support her.

'I'm sorry?' Marsin inquired cautiously. Both women looked familiar but Marsin wasn't sure if she could place them. 'Counselor, what's going on?'

'This is Sharee Partinist, your father's mother, and his sister, Tonya,' Troi explained, a smile on her face. 'Data contacted them and they were very eager to meet you. It seems they never knew he had a child.'

'I was born after he died,' Marsin admitted. 'His logs said he knew about me and was excited and was hoping Mom would divorce Daniel before I was born but that never happened.' She glanced at Sharee and Tonya and opened her shields a little bit. That was enough for the emotions of love and joy to suddenly pour through, nearly sending her to the floor. Sharee wanted her, desperately, and so did Tonya.

'Come here, child. Let me see you,' Sharee whispered, holding out her hands.

Almost hesitantly, Marsin approached the older woman. Sharee cradled her face in her hands, studying her, as if she was looking for something. 'You have his eyes, child, eyes I thought I'd never see again.' And Marsin suddenly found herself being engulfed in her arms and surrounded by fabric that smelled sweet and reminded her of a field of flowers on a warm windy day. Then Tonya was hugging her and Marsin was being swamped with emotions, like love, acceptance, joy, happiness, and excitement.

'You must come to the surface and stay with us for a few days,' Sharee said firmly.

'I would have to talk to the captain about that; we're only supposed to be dropping Daniel off and then we're due to head to another sector for some routine star mapping,' Marsin said.

'I'm sure Captain Picard won't mind you taking some time off for family, child,' Sharee said firmly.

Before Marsin could reply, she was hailed.

"Worf to Ensign Marsin."

"Marsin here. Go ahead , sir."

"We are ready to transport Radcliffe to the authorities."

"Understood, sir. I'll be right there. Marsin out." She looked at her grandmother and aunt and said, "I need to go speak to my supervisor for a moment, but if you'd like, we can go see Daniel off together."

'I would indeed like to see this man,' Sharee said.

'Then if you will excuse me for a moment?' Marsin asked. There was a series of nods and Marsin went to find LaForge to let him know she was heading for Transporter Room One.

'No, Mother, you may not claw his face,' Toya said sarcastically.

'Who said anything about his face? I was thinking a little lower,' was the rejoinder.

'I know nothing,' Tonya said, causing Marsin to snort with laughter.

LaForge, having been expecting the request from Marsin, sent her off with his blessings.

On the way to the transporter room, Sharee learned her granddaughter was expecting her first child, making Sharee a great-grandmother-to-be and Tonya a great-aunt-to-be. When they inquired about the baby's father, something even Troi didn't know but had suspicions about, Marsin simply said he was a good man who had claimed her as his imzadi and vice versa.

Sharee was ecstatic, to say the least.

In Transporter Room One, Riker and Worf were waiting for them, along with a very sullen, cuffed, Radcliffe, and two armed security officers. Commander Data, for security reasons, was operating the transporter controls.

"Ensign, Counselor," Worf said, nodding politely. "We have an incoming transport, someone who specifically requested to see Radcliffe before he was transferred to the surface."

"Who?" Troi asked curiously.

"Does the name Commander Dilsen sound familiar?" Riker asked.

Marsin gave a funny squeak and her eyes went wide.

"The name is familiar," Troi admitted.

'Child?' Sharee asked, also curious.

Marsin didn't answer. Instead, she faced the man who murdered her mother and made her life hell. He sneered at her. She didn't say anything, just looked at him.

Dilsen materialized on the transporter pad and looked around. When he spotted Marsin, he gave her a quick mental brush.

As he stepped down, Riker said, "Welcome aboard, Commander."

"Thank you, Commander," Dilsen replied. He spotted Radcliffe and a nasty smile came across his face.

"So you're the bastard who killed my imzadi's mother, hurt her, and threatened the life of our baby," he said.

He swung and the blow sent Radcliffe reeling.

"That won't make up for the years of hell you put everyone through, but it's a start," he said, rubbing his knuckles.

"Get him out of here before the rest of the family tries to go after him," Riker ordered Worf, who nodded.

Worf and another security officer hauled the dazed Radcliffe on to the transporter pad while the other officer kept watch.

Then Marsin began to speak.

"Daniel Harold Radcliffe, I hereby declare that you are not my father. I do not know you. I do not see you. From this day forward I will not speak your name again. I turn my back to you and declare you dead," Marsin said, carefully completing the traditional Betazoid ritual for permanently disowning someone. It wasn't used that often, but when it was used, it was pretty serious and could have long and far reaching consequences for the person being disowned.

And she turned her back on him.

"We declare you dead," said Sharee, Tonya, Dilsen, and Troi, in union, before turning their backs to him. Even Worf and Riker did, not understanding, but trusting Troi and knowing it was important to Marsin.

Worf's people had a similar ritual and, having been on the receiving end of it once, he knew how important it was. This wasn't just about a ritual; it was a means for Marsin to face Radcliffe once and for all.

Riker nodded at Data, who initiated the transport and the familiar whine of the transporter came and went, along with Radcliffe's final angry yell.

"Bitch!"

Dilsen looked at Marsin, who looked at him, and said, "Now that that's out of the way, we can get down to the important stuff." And he hauled her in to his arms, said, "Hi," and dipped her down before proceeding to kiss her soundly. Marsin gave a shriek as she nearly lost her balance but everything was soon forgotten with Dilsen's kiss.

'Marry me,' he demanded. 'I want you and I want our baby. Marry me today.'

When Dilsen had gotten Marsin's letter, telling him she was pregnant, he had yelled loudly enough to attract a passing crewman, who had called security to his quarters, thinking there was trouble. Then he'd gotten word of Radcliffe's arrival on the Enterprise and freaked. He went running.

'Okay,' Marsin replied breathlessly, distracted by the pleasure of his kiss.

By the time Dilsen straightened up, taking Marsin with him, her face was flushed and there were more than a few amused smiled.

"Umm, Jon, I'd like you to meet my grandmother, Sharee Partinist, and my aunt, Tonya Kerit," Marsin got out. "Grandmother, Auntie, this is Commander Jon Dilsen, the father of our child and my imzadi."

While Riker's jaw hit the floor and Troi started smiling, Sharee came over to Dilsen, took his face in one hand, looked at him for a moment, and then let him go, apparently satisfied. "You hit that fool of a man on her behalf. Good. Any man who defends his mate is a good man to me." Then she smiled. "Besides, the more the merrier."

"Is the captain around?" Dilsen asked Riker. "Because I'm not leaving this ship until Sharee marries me and if I have to, I'll get the captain to marry us, being that we're both Starfleet officers."

"You know this is going to raise a few eyebrows with Starfleet Command, given your respective ranks," Riker cautioned them.

"Depending on what happens, Commander, I don't think it'll be too much of an issue," Marsin said. "I ran to Starfleet to hide, and now I don't have to hide anymore, so I can stop running."

"Understood. When would you like it done?" Riker asked.

"As soon as possible?" Marsin asked. "I know the Enterprise is due to depart soon."

Riker tapped his combadge and said, "Riker to Picard."

"Picard here. Go ahead, Number One."

"Radcliffe has been transported, Commander Dilsen has arrived, and there is a special request for you."

"All right."

"Ensign Marsin and Commander Dilsen are requesting that you marry them and they'd like to do it before we depart Betazed."

"Indeed. Well, if it can be done within the next hour, then I would be honored to do so," Picard said, amusement in his voice.

"We could utilize one of the holodecks," Riker suggested. "If we get everyone there in about, say fifteen minutes, given that Betazoid weddings are fairly simple, it would still give us enough time."

"Excellent. Make it so, Number One, and pass on my congratulations to the couple. Picard out."

Riker looked at Marsin and Dilsen and asked, "Where do you two want to get married?"

Marsin glanced at Dilsen, who looked at her, and they both smiled.

"The Canyon de Chelly in Arizona, on Earth, sir. It's an area of special meaning to both of us," Marsin said.

"Okay, is there anyone else you want in the wedding party?" Riker asked.

"Yes, Guinan. She's been a good friend to me," Marsin said.

"Fair enough," Riker said. "Alright, Data, if you don't mind, with Picard officiating the marriage ceremony, I need you on Bridge Duty."

"Yes sir," Data said.

"Everyone else, to the nearest available holodeck," Riker said.

Worf released the two security officers and would have vanished himself, had Marsin not pulled a fast one on him. She asked him to stand in for her deceased father. Riker could have sworn Worf's sash was going to split from the way his chest puffed out.

"It would be an honor to do so," Worf said. He excused himself to get his dress uniform. Riker, who was familiar with Betazoid weddings, had been asked by Dilsen to serve as the Betazoid version of his Best Man.

Guinan, upon receiving Marsin's request, agreed to serve as her Bride's Maid, along with Troi and Tonya. Sharee had claimed the title of Matron of Honor gleefully.

Thanks to Data, who had, from the Bridge, set up the holodeck for the Canyon de Chelly, had also included an alcove for them to get changed, if they chose to do so. There was even a raised platform for Picard to officiate the wedding.

Picard arrived in his dress uniform and Worf arrived a few minutes later in his.

As everyone took their places, Worf growled at Dilsen.

"If you hurt her, I will hunt you down and hurt you," he growled.

"Not if I get there first!" Sharee said. "We'll split it, half and half. Sound fair?"

"It does," Worf said.

"I would expect nothing less," Dilsen said, his eyes going a bit wide.


	17. Chapter 17

2372, Enterprise-E

"Come!" Picard called in response to the door chime of his Ready Room.

It was Guinan, and she had a smile on her face.

"Guinan. What can I do for you?" Picard asked his old friend.

"Do you remember an ensign by the name of Sharee Marsin? You officiated her and Jon Dilsen's wedding last year," Guinan said.

"I remember her, yes. Have you heard from her?" Picard asked, thinking back and recalling the young officer. Shortly after the impromptu wedding, Marsin had decided to resign from Starfleet and stay on Betazed. With the sudden discovery of her biological father's family and the secure knowledge that Daniel Radcliffe would not be able to come after her again, she had decided it was time to stop running and start enjoying life again. Picard had wished her well.

"I have, and I would like to show you her latest letter, given that she specifically mentions you."

"Indeed. Very well."

"Computer, play file Guinan-Dilsen Letter Fifteen."

The computer beeped and Marsin's face appeared on Picard's personal computer. She looked far better than the last time he had seen her, he decided.

"Hi Guinan. Ignore the background clowns; the cousins are a bit rambunctious today, especially since it's a school break.

I'm doing well, and so is Jon. He's been promoted to Captain and is super busy at the base, especially with all the dignitaries visiting. But that doesn't stop him from making sure he makes time for us. In fact, he admitted that if it weren't for his family, he probably would have tossed a number of people on to the nearest transporter pad and beamed them in to space." Marsin winced at this. "My studies as a nurse are nearly complete and I've already been offered a part-time position at a family medical clinic. Until Guinan is in regular school, I think that's how I'm going to play it for now." She smiled. "Speaking of your namesake, she's started wiggling and it looks like she'll be crawling before very long. She's already trying to follow Hawkeye, the dog the cousins adopted, around as best as she can.

We heard about the launch of the new Enterprise and both Jon and I are glad Captain Picard gets command of her again. Kirk was captain of two Enterprise's, so it's fitting that Picard should do the same.

Please extend our congratulations to him and we hope to get the chance to see the ship in person, should you pass our way again."

Then a young teenage girl appeared beside her and, after a brief moment of silence that made Picard deduce they were communicating telepathically, Marsin was lifting a pretty, dairk-haired, yawning baby in her arms.

"Guess who just woke up!" Marsin said. "Did you have a good nap, Little One? Yeah? That's good." The baby, Guinan's namesake, stuck her fist in her mouth and laid her head on her mother's shoulder. Then Marsin smiled. "Jon's home." She blinked a few times and a moment later the newly-promoted Captain appeared beside her. He gave her a sound kiss and turned his attention to his daughter, who cooed when she saw him.

"Hello, my Lovely Lady!" Dilsen said, lifting Little Guinan up in the air, making her squeal and giggle. "How's my girl?" He settled the baby in his arms and turned his attention to the screen. "Hi Guinan; hope you're doing well there! We would love to catch up to you again soon. Please tell Captain Picard congrats on getting command of the Enterprise-E. I can't think of a better man for the seat." Little Guinan started fussing and Dilsen apparently recognized what it meant. "Whoops, looks like someone's hungry. Bottle time! If you'll excuse me..."

And he vanished from the screen, leaving an amused Marsin. "Yeah, things are crazy around here, but I'll tell you something, Guinan; I love every minute of it! Hugs and kisses and I'll catch you later!"

And the letter ended.

"She looks happy," Picard commented.

"She is. Very much she is."

"What happened to Radcliffe, do you know?"

"He's in a maximum prison for the rest of his life. It seems Mona wasn't his only victim; there were several others," Guinan said. "The trial was nasty and it turned out a lot of people had gotten their hands dirty because of him, so there were several attempts on his life. But he was convicted and put in the most secure, most remote prison possible. He won't be going anywhere for the rest of his natural life, if he even lives that long."

"Indeed. Well, all that's well ends well, I suppose." He nodded at Guinan. "Thank you for showing me the letter. It's always good to know someone is doing well, especially in light of recent tragedies."

"You're quite welcome."

On Beztazed:

'Okay, everyone, supper time!' Sharee Partinist yelled. 'Get your seat before it vanishes!'

As children, teens, and adults scrambled to the dining table, Sharee Dilsen smiled, cradling her daughter in her arms. Yes, the Partinist-Dilsen-Kerit household could be crazy at times, but as she had told Guinan in her letter, she was loving every minute of it. And no matter what, she wouldn't change a thing.


End file.
